


For The Love Of Fortune

by 6_Binx_6



Category: American (US) Actor RPF, Chris Pratt - Fandom, Original Work, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Best Friends, Birthday Party, Cats, Chinese Food, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Exes, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Fluff and Humor, Fortune Cookies, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Frustration, Girl next door, Loss of Virginity, Mechanics, Neighbors, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Secret Places, Sexual Frustration, Sexy Chris Pratt, Slow Burn, Tea, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Virginity, Work In Progress, boy next door, car parts, christmas gifts, friend zone, real places
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-03-25 11:47:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 42,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13833621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/6_Binx_6/pseuds/6_Binx_6
Summary: "If you wanted to dance, you could have just asked."London felt her shoulders tense a little as she stood in front of him. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, her face grew hot in a dramatic blush that she was sure spread all over her body. The man was easily over six foot tall and her meager five foot three made her feel smaller than normal."I-I don't dance." She mumbled, quickly sidestepping him and dashing out the door of the restaurant. She didn't even look back to see if he was behind her, because she was half afraid, half hoping he would be.Or more specifically...How a fortune cookie writer has her world flipped upside down by her hunky new neighbor.





	1. The Dancing Panda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
> ****I do not own this picture in anway, shape or form. I thought it might be a good reminder of how truly sexy this man is.****
> 
>  
> 
> _A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why ships are built._  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because there wasn't enough Chris Pratt Fan Fiction out there. 
> 
> As always, any similarity to anyone living or dead (other than Chris Pratt himself) is a coincidence and any feedback is always appreciated.

* * *

_Remember to swim with the current, not against it._

"Ugh, that sounds so condescending," London muttered as she continued to tap away on her laptop.

_Tread lightly, you may not be light of foot._

"God this is just getting stupid now. Why can't I come up with happy fortunes? Or at least ones that aren't so...foreboding."

London sighed as she took off her glasses and set them down on top of the keyboard. She was exhausted, having worked for a full six straight hours. Those six hours of typing and staring at her screen had added up to a few hundred lines. The life of a fortune cookie 'writer' wasn't as glamorous as a novelist, but it at least put food on the table.

London rubbed her hands over her face in an attempt to wake herself up. Her blonde hair was twisted into two messy buns on top of her head, to get it out of her face and off her neck. It was what she called her 'work hair'. When it was up like this, it made her focus that much better. Or at least she thought it did. She also thought it made her look cute if only a little.

London was a simple woman at heart. She had two loving parents, a brother that was sometimes a jerk and the greatest best friend you could ever ask for—a black tabby cat named Butthead.

She smiled at the cat, who was presently curled up into a large ball and pressed up against her exposed thigh.

"Such a good kitty." She cooed at him as she rubbed his ear between her fingers. His name was actually Thomas Wingates III, but her brother called him Butthead so much when he lived with her that the cat started coming to it. Now when she came home it wasn't 'Thomas, I'm home' but 'I'm home Butthead'. Needless to say, she was glad her brother had moved out.

Butthead started purring and snuggled up close to her as she continued to pet him. Letting her head fall back on her couch, she rubbed her tired eyes with her other hand. It was so quiet in her living room, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was kind of nice. Her brother always had his TV way too loud or his music cranked up to a god-awful level. Now it was just her and her cat.

London lived in a small duplex in Stillwater, Minnesota. She was born and raised in her hometown and after she graduated college, she came back. It was a friendly community where people still waved when they drove past you, and she almost always ran into someone she knew when she went out. It was more laid back than the hustle and bustle of New York City where she went to school. She'd loved the quiet streets and the turning of the leaves in the fall.

This was home.

Those weren't the only reasons she returned home after graduation, though they were all good reasons. The problem was after getting her bachelors degree in English, she wasn't able to get her manuscript published or even find a job that wasn't teaching. Being a lover of books, evident by her five large bookshelves packed full of various novels and reference books; she'd always wanted to be a novelist. But she found it was a lot harder to get published than she thought. She was facing having to give up her dream and go back to waitressing at the local pizza parlor she'd worked at as a teenager after graduation. Then a brilliant stroke of luck came out of nowhere when she received a call from one of the many freelance writing jobs she put a bid on. A large manufacturer of fortune cookies was looking for a new writer. Two years later she was still working for them and living by herself, in her own place. A huge accomplishment for her.

London yawned and glanced at the clock on her wall. The analog clock ticked along, declaring somewhat blandly, that it was seven thirty in the evening.

"Okay, Butthead. No more work." London said tiredly as she put her glasses back on and closed her laptop. Setting the computer down on the glass coffee table, she gave the cat one more good rub on his head and then stood.

"Ow-ow, ow. Damnit." She grumbled as she stretched, several loud pops sounding as her back seemed to struggle with the upright position. She might have been in her late twenties, but damn sometimes she swore she felt like she was eighty.

After a moment London was able to walk like a normal human. She didn't have any food in the fridge, so she'd have to go out and grab something. Maybe she'd get some Chinese take-out.

"Mm, Chinese." She muttered as she entered her bedroom and started digging through her drawers. The loose gray sweater she was wearing could stay on, but she needed shorts since walking outside in her panties was taboo. Shorts were the closest thing to it. Thankfully, it was still warm out for the beginning of fall, autumn already turning the leaves various colors of orange, red and gold.

"Ah ha." She grinned as she came across her favorite pair of cut off shorts and pulled them on. London took the time to let her hair down to fall in soft waves around her shoulders as she left her bedroom and headed towards the small table next to her front door. After finger combing her hair, she grabbed her wallet, keys and slipped on her hard soled slippers. She was feeling a little too lazy for socks and tennis shoes at the moment.

"Alright, Butthead. I'll be back. You be good okay?"

Butthead raised his head up from his large curled up position. Yawning, the cat let out a deep meow that had London smiling as she opened the door and left.

Once outside, she locked the door and stuffed her keys and wallet inside her pocket. The smell of cool, crisp nighttime air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath. This was exactly what she needed. She'd been cooped up for too long. It was time to get out and walk for a bit. Luckily, her favorite Chinese place was only a few streets over from where she lived.

As London came around the corner, she halted in her driveway to take in a large U-haul truck that was parked in the driveway next to hers.

"Hm?" She hummed as she eyed it. The outside light next door wasn't on and it looked like no one was around. Shrugging, she decided to see if anyone was home on her way back from grabbing dinner. There hadn't been anyone who lived in the duplex next door for six months, the last tenant being a young single mother. She'd moved out and ended up moving in with her parents since she was struggling so hard. London wondered how the woman was doing now.

Frowning, she tried to remember the woman's name while she walked. It hadn't been that long, she should be able to remember the woman's name.

"Julie? No that's not right. Hana?" She mumbled as she walked down the sidewalk and turned down a side street that lead directly to The Dancing Panda. She could practically smell the delicious food in the air and the troubling thought of not remembering the woman's name disappeared. Food was the new mission.

The Dancing Panda was owned by a wonderful Chinese family that moved to the area when London was a kid. At first, she wasn't sure about the food when she'd come here with her family, but after that first bite of fried rice, she was a goner. Now it was one of her favorite places to eat. They were open late with a homey atmosphere that seemed to relax her to the core.

"Hey, Chen!" London said happily as she stepped into the dimly lit restaurant. There were only a few patrons sitting down at various tables. The smell of Chinese food was stronger and London's mouth started to water.

"Loni! Welcome! The usual?" Chen greeted her with a warm smile. He was an older man with peppered hair and the best laugh lines she'd ever seen. She hoped when she looked in the mirror someday she'd have lines like that.

"Yes please!" She laughed as the man came around the counter and gave her a quick hug. His wife, Kioka, passed away a few years back. Now it was Chen and his son, Lee, running the business. His wife's picture still hung on the wall behind the counter, smiling at customers as they entered like she always had when she was alive.

Chen nodded a few times after he let her go and stepped back behind the counter.

"Good, good. Few minutes, yeah?"

"Sure."

London turned to take a seat on the long couch just to the left of the door. It was there for people waiting for take-out orders or for a table during rushes. Since she started coming here by herself, she always sat at the far end of the couch. It was her spot, implied by the butt print that was solely hers.  
The problem was, there was someone sitting in her spot.

A very beefy, handsome someone with reddish brown hair and hazel eyes...

Doing an air guitar and making weird, half sung noises...

London blinked and ended up staring at him. He was completely unaware of her standing there lost in his own world as the obvious music from his earbuds commanded him to move. His shirt was dirty like he'd been working all day with a blown out knee on his jeans. Yet, his face was clean, if not a little rugged looking with its half-shaven look. He was way too good looking to talk to and she wasn't so rude to interrupt his jam session to make him move from her spot.

So she did the only thing she could think of.

She sat down on the opposite far end of the long couch and kept her eyes in front of her. London was not very good when it came to being sociable. Hell, she wasn't good at talking to people in general unless she'd known them for years. Every event in her life that required talking to good looking, sexy guys or large crowds were huge disasters for her. School dances, athletic events, even the Winter Festival in college—all of them were horrific, embarrassing moments. It was tragic in a way.

" **Bow-chika-dun, dun, dun—yeah! Mm, mm-mmmm.** "

London couldn't stop herself from staring at him as he grew louder, drawing the attention of every patron in the restaurant.

He seemed to notice that she had sat down and met her wide-eyed stare with a bright, happy smile. London felt her face grow a little warm as he looked at her and quickly looked away. She felt flustered, not to mention embarrassed that she'd been caught staring at him.

"Sorry if I was too loud."

London jumped as the man spoke, taking his earbuds out and scooting closer to her. His voice was carefree and happy, completely at ease.

"Oh...uh, it's fine." She stumbled over her words, nervousness making her voice higher than normal. If he noticed, he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he held out a large hand to her.

"My name is Chris. I just moved here."

London looked at his hand and after a moment, she shook it gently. Her hands were already sweaty and she cringed internally as she tried to ignore how nervous she was. This guy was sexy. As in 'I _just know I'm going to have wet dreams about this guy later_ ' sexy. He was undoubtedly the sexiest guy she'd ever laid eyes on, hands down.

And he was talking to her.

"Oh." She said, trying to think of actual words, but nothing seemed to come out as she opened and closed her mouth a few too many times. Chris smiled at her and gave her hand a quick shake in return before letting her hand go. Even though her hand was sweaty, the touch of his hand on hers seemed to linger.

"So what's your name?"

"...London..."

Chris grinned, "As in England? That's awesome!"

His enthusiasm had London blinking at him stupidly as she fiddled with her hands in her lap. Her lack of talking was starting to make the atmosphere feel weird. Chris seemed unaffected by her inability to talk to him normally and continued to talk like the conversation was just like any other he'd had.

"So you live around here?"

"Yeah."

"Nice. Me too. I haven't got all my stuff moved in yet, but I was starving. I heard about this place from my boss. He said you can get a lot of really good food for cheap here."

"Yeah."

London bit her lip as she glanced at the front counter. She was secretly hoping that her food would be ready and she could leave. She was really starting to sweat now. The gray sweater was not the best idea and she was cursing herself for her lack of foresight. But honestly, who expects to meet a sexy ass man in a Chinese restaurant that is willingly talking to you? Not to mention the subtle mix of his body wash and his natural scent was making her chest feel tight. It felt like puberty all over again, which was another disastrous moment in her life.

Before she could utter another stupid single word, Chen appeared from the back kitchen with two bags of wrapped up food. London felt her stomach drop, that second bag must have been for Chris. London quickly stood and made her way to the counter, desperately trying to ignore the fact that Chris was right behind her.

"Here you go, Loni," Chen said as he smiled and handed her one of the bags.

"Thanks, Chen." She said and quickly put a twenty on the counter before turning to make a break for it. Chris was behind her though and after a few quick steps of them both trying to get around the other and failing, he stopped and grinned cheekily at her.

"If you wanted to dance, you could have just asked."

London felt her shoulders tense a little as she stood in front of him. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, her face grew hot in a dramatic blush that she was sure spread all over her body. The man was easily over six foot tall and her meager five foot three made her feel smaller than normal.

"I-I don't dance." She mumbled, quickly sidestepping him and dashing out the door of the restaurant. She didn't even look back to see if he was behind her, because she was half afraid, half hoping he would be.

* * *

Chris stood there, blinking slightly as the Chinese man named Chen, set his own bag of food on the counter.

"Don't worry," he said, drawing Chris's attention. "She's a good girl. Very shy and nervous."

"I noticed." Chris chuckled as he pulled out his wallet to pay for his food. He was hoping to maybe run into her again sometime. Her shoulder length blonde hair and deep green eyes were rather striking. Her thin-framed glasses only seemed to add to the librarian vibe she had going on. The only thing she was missing was a skirt and a low cut top, but he kind of liked the overly baggy gray sweeter that just barely showed the end of her cut off shorts.

"Don't worry about it. Consider this a welcome present for your first night in town, eh?"

"Oh, I couldn't let you do that. I plan on coming back here regularly." Chris smiled as he went to pull his debit card out of his wallet. Chen shook his head and held up his hand to stop him.

"Your promise to come back is all I need. Don't worry, I'll charge you next time." Chen winked at him and Chris grinned as he folded his wallet, putting it back in his back pocket. The Chinese man was charming and kind of reminded him of his grandfather with that mischievous look in his eye.

"Well if you insist. I promise to come back, you have my word."

"Deal." The old man said as he picked up Chris's bag and handed it to him. "Now hurry, you might be able to catch up to her." He grinned slyly at Chris as he winked.

Chris chuckled and gave him a nod, "Thanks again."

"Hurry!" Chen insisted. Chris chuckled again and stepped out of the restaurant. He could go back to his new place, eat and start unpacking. But the shy woman had caught his attention. Deciding to see if his luck was on point, he started walking; looking up and down the street for the girl with the gray sweater and cut off shorts.


	2. Coincidence or Twist of Fate?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I cannot help you, for I am just a cookie._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never met Chris Pratt, but the guy seems like a sweetie. So hopefully, no one gets upset—this is a work of fiction after all.

* * *

Chris had no idea which way the woman went. She didn't look that athletic, but she seemed to have disappeared out of thin air the moment she stepped outside. The air was getting brisk, more so than when he first arrived at the restaurant. He had a feeling that was nagging at him to head left and he always tried to trust his gut. Even if it ended in disaster.  
  
Stillwater was a quiet place and had a welcoming feel to it. It seemed like a good place to get his life moving in some kind of direction. It had been stagnant for so long that it was a rush to be actually doing something. It wasn't that he was a slacker, he was a driven person by nature. The issue was that he just couldn't make up his mind about what he wanted to do with his life and a lot of his ideas didn't always come to fruition.  
  
He'd done the college thing, earning an associates degree in automotive mechanics. Not that he thought he'd ever use it, mostly he got it because he liked working on old cars. It was relaxing in a way because when everything else when to shit, he could at least fix _something_. Now that the college days were over, he found it increasingly difficult to get his life going. He was in his late twenties now, having had a slew of odd jobs and even a stent where he was homeless and living out of his friends' van for a while.  
  
Chris had had to swallow his pride and move back in with his parents to get on his feet. It had been a couple of years since then and nothing had really changed. Not until his new boss, Mr. Travis, ran into him at a gas station. Chris had been passing through when an elderly lady with a beautiful green Cadillac ended up breaking down. He'd popped her hood and helped put a temporary fix for a busted belt using a pair of pantyhose from the dollar store just down the road. Mr. Travis had watched the whole thing and afterward, approached him with a job offer to come work at his mechanic and autobody shop. The large bearded man even gave Chris an advance on his first paycheck so he could find a place to live and move the few things he had. It seemed that his crappy luck had finally turned around.  
  
"Well damn. I guess she really did just disappear out of nowhere."  
  
Stopping at the end of the alleyway he'd walked down, he looked around to try and spot any hint of London. After a few moments, he decided he should probably just head home. He still needed to unload the U-Haul and get a shower. Work started early in the morning, so no late night chasing cute girls for him.  
  
Turning right and continuing on towards his new place, a nice little duplex, he briefly wondered what his neighbor was like. From what the landlord said, she was a smart woman who lived alone with a cat. He got the impression that the woman was an older lady with graying hair and a little plump. Chris would need to go over and introduce himself since it was the polite thing to do. In his experience, older ladies tended to need someone to do odd jobs they couldn't. Like change light bulbs and such.  
  
Just as Chris saw his duplex come into view, he stopped suddenly at the sight of someone laying down and half sticking out from under his truck.  
  
"Butthead! Come on, come here." Pleaded a very familiar voice. Walking closer, Chris couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. What were the odds that the woman from the restaurant, London, was half wedged under his U-Haul? Pretty good apparently. She was still in her shorts, her bare legs a little scuffed up and dirty like she'd been scooting around on the driveway for a while now.  
  
"Come on Butthead. Please?" She pleaded again, her voice sounded strained like she was about to cry. It slowly dawned on him that she was trying desperately to get something out from under the truck.  
  
"Butthead?" He asked, startling London into hitting her head on the undercarriage.  
  
"Ow!" She yelled, quickly crawling backward with her hands on the back of her head. Tears welled up in her eyes as she winced, sitting on her knees. Chris cringed internally. His first impression to this girl wasn't going smoothly.  
  
"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—" Chris came up next to her and squatted down as she opened her watery green eyes to stare at him.  
  
"O-oh." London said as she quickly stood, "I-I'm sorry. My cat got out and I—"  
  
"Cat?" Chris asked curiously as he peaked under the U-Haul to spot a dark colored tabby with bright yellow eyes. The cat regarded him as it flicked its tail back and forth.  
  
"Butthead is his name." She explained as she continued to rub the sore spot on her head a little more, looking down at him.  
  
Chris chuckled, "You named your cat Butthead?" He tried to keep the amusement out of his voice but failed. London huffed as she finally stopped rubbing her head and started dusting off her baggy gray sweater.  
  
"No, I didn't name him Butthead. His real name is Thomas Wingates III, but when my brother lived with me he always called him Butthead. Now it's the only name he answers to." She seemed flustered and Chris wasn't sure if it was because he scared her or if she was that worried about her cat.  
  
Deciding to lend a hand to this unusual, but not unwelcome, situation. Chris laid down flat and scooted under the U-Haul, one hand outstretched towards the cat.  
  
"Uh, you don't have to do that. I can get him, you just scared me is all." London's voice was slightly bewildered behind him as he made a few soft clicking noises.  
  
"Come on buddy, I won't hurt you." He said softly as Butthead leaned forward from his laying down position to sniff his fingertips. "Of course I have to help you," Chris said louder, "I scared you and you hit your head."  
  
"But—"  
  
"Come on Bud. Come to Chris like a good kitty." Chris wiggled his fingers as he continued to coax the cat closer. Finally, he stood up and rubbed on his hand. Grinning, Chris reached his other hand forward and carefully grabbed the cat as he rubbed its head. The black tabby was rather large, not necessarily overweight, but like a mini tiger. Butthead meowed loudly as Chris carefully started to wiggle backward out from under the truck.  
  
"Did you get him?" She asked nervously and the moment he emerged with the cat in his hands, London's face flooded with relief as she took the cat out of his hands. She wrapped the large beast up in her arms and nuzzled her face into his soft fur. It looked like at any moment she was going to cry all over again.  
  
"Oh thank you so much," London said, her voice emotional as she continued to nuzzle the cat as Chris stood and dusted himself off. He was definitely going to need a shower now.  
  
"No problem. I'm glad he let me grab him." Chris smiled as he watched her for a moment. The outside light on the duplex next to his caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Glances at it and then back to London, he suddenly remembered what his landlord had said about his neighbor.  
  
" _Oh, she's nice. Bit of a bookworm. She lives by herself with her cat. You don't have to worry about noise or anything. She keeps to herself and I've never even seen a car here so you don't have to worry about parking if your friends come over._ "  
  
"Hey," he said looking at her, "do you live here?"  
  
London looked at him a little startled, "Oh, uh...yes." She made a small motion towards the duplex next to his with the light on. "I've been here for a couple of years now. I'm not sure who is moving in though, I haven't met them yet."  
  
Chris nodded as he listened, her voice was soft and very articulate, definitely a smart girl. She may have been nervous at the restaurant, but now she was downright chatty and it made him smile.  
  
"So how did your cat get out?" Chris asked, trying to keep her talking. The cat in her arms was purring loudly as it settled more into her arms.  
  
"I opened the door and he ran out. He's an indoor cat, I don't know why he would just run outside like that." She frowned, her glasses slipping down her nose a little and Chris smiled.  
  
"Aw well, I'm glad he's okay and I was able to help."  
  
"Thank you, really." London gave him a sincere smile and Chris grinned wider.  
  
"You're welcome. Well," he said casually picking up his bag of Chinese food, "I'm gonna pack it in, I'm beat."  
  
"Oh," she said looking suddenly lost. It was kind of cute watching her try and figure out what to do or say. He thought maybe that didn't happen much to her.  
  
"Well, goodnight London." He said, trying to help her out. She looked back up at him, blinking as he started walking towards his duplex, right next door to hers.  
  
"Uh, hey!" She said, taking a few quick steps towards him and speaking in a hushed tone, "What are you doing?"  
  
Chris stopped and gave her a surprised face with his eyebrows raised and everything. It was surprisingly easy to look so confused as she seemed oh so concerned about him randomly walking into someone's house that wasn't his.  
  
"Uh, going home."  
  
London blinked at him, her face a mixture of cute confusion and bewilderment.  
  
"Wait, you mean...?"  
  
Chris smiled then, giving her a wink before turning and walking to the front door of his duplex. He unlocked the door with his key and before he disappeared inside he turned and waved at her. She was standing there watching him with flushed cheeks and a leaf stuck in her hair.  
  
"Good night, London." He said, before shutting the door.

* * *

London stared with her mouth partially hanging open at the closed door. Chris, the hot, sexy, hunky man she'd met at the restaurant was her new neighbor?!  
  
"B-b-but..." She said to no one as she held Butthead tighter against her chest. He'd known he was her neighbor. She wasn't sure how he'd figured it out, but it was clear that he'd known.  
  
London closed her mouth and quickly scuttled to her own duplex. Closing and locking the door behind her she let Butthead down carefully on the floor as she brought her hands up to her face to cover her mouth.  
  
This was like some weird twist in a book. Or some kind of sick joke. Hell, maybe it was both.  
  
But he'd come to her rescue and helped her get Butthead back inside. He was nice and didn't seem to mind that she spoke softly or that their conversations were a bit one-sided.  
  
London groaned as she made herself grab her bag of food off of the small table near the front door. She'd set it there the moment she came in and Butthead ran out the door in a moment of self-imposed suicide. Slowly, she made her way to her couch and sat down, Butthead jumping up to sniff the bag and meow at her.  
  
"You scared me." She chided him by shaking her finger at him. The cat merely sniffed her finger and meowed again. Sighing, she reached over and scratched his ears.  
  
"No more running outside, okay?" Butthead began purring as he sat down, patiently waiting for her to open up her bag. After a moment she chuckled and set to work on opening the knot.  
  
"Well, it's not like I'll be running into him all that much. Maybe tonight was a fluke." She half mumbled to herself as she opened the bag and started removing containers. Butthead inspected each one, sniffing it thoroughly before moving on to the next.  
  
"Yes, you can have some too." London smiled as she opened a small container filled with sweet and sour pork, Butthead's favorite.  
  
"Okay, no more talk. Let's eat."  
  
The cat meowed loudly as she set the container down in front of him and he started eating. Relieved, if not still a bit weirded out by tonight's turn of events, she was glad that things had finally calmed down.  
  
Chris was her new neighbor. There wasn't anything wrong with that. Except, he was sexy...  
  
And those hazel, laughing eyes...  
  
London groaned as she took a bite of fried rice. This really was like some weird twist in a book. Like a twist of fate.


	3. Birthday Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Beware of car parts in a box._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been _slightly_ rewritten because London was out of character. Sorry folks!

* * *

London groaned as she heard her alarm clock go off. The high pitched beeping not only startled her out of her sleep but had her ears ringing. Normally she never set it because she was mostly an afternoon/ nighttime person. Mornings were just not her thing and never had been. However, today she had to get up because today was important.   
  
It was her father's birthday.  
  
London rolled over, Butthead protesting loudly as she reached over the top of the large feline and hit the snooze button. Once silenced, she slipped one arm around the cat and cuddled him. He began purring heavily and all too quickly the steady rhythm had her fast asleep again. What seemed like only seconds of sleep was actually nine whole minutes as the alarm sounded again. This time Butthead yowled and jumped down from the bed and padded out of the room.  
  
"Ugh, alright. I'm up." London grumbled as she rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, the covers pooling around her lap. It took a lot longer than normal for her to get out of the bed. Mostly because she really, desperately, wanted to go back to sleep. After last nights weird run-in with Chris, she had tossed and turned all night. It wasn't that she was having naughty dreams about him or anything...  
  
Well _not completely_ anyway, he just surprised her. By being kind, laughing and acting just a bit goofy. He was like a big kid, but still a _man_. Which she had to admit was charming in a way. London had dated a couple of guys before when she was in high school. She had a thing for tall guys that were hunky. Which meant that high school, dating was limited as there were no adorable, hunky guys that weren't asshole jocks wanting to use her to do their homework. The college dating scene didn't look that attractive either. Mostly everyone was about just getting by and drinking a lot. And the few serious guys she ran into didn't want anything to do with her.  
  
Shaking her head of last nights restless sleep, London stumbled out of bed and towards the shower. Twenty minutes later she was dressed, clean and had a hot cup of tea in her to-go cup. Her ensemble was simple, consisting of a nice mint green shirt that complimented her eyes and a long skirt with a pair of flip-flops. She'd also decided to wear her old crochet hooded cardigan that her grandmother made for her before she went off to college. It was her favorite piece of clothing that she owned. The yarn was super soft and it was a deep burgundy color.  
  
With her tea in hand, London grabbed the small wrapped gift she had picked for her Dad and gave Butthead a quick pat on the head as she stepped out of the house. Locking the door behind her, the bright morning light seemed cheerful and there was a light covering of frost on everything, making it sparkle. London grinned as she took in a cold deep breath and let it out, watching the mist escape her mouth. Fall and winter were definitely her favorite seasons. Some might consider her crazy for wearing flip-flops during the fall, but it never bothered her. To her, she only wore winter boots when the snow hit the ground. Her tennis shoes were for her runs when she decided to go on them and if she was helping her family do something.  
  
London began walking and as soon as she rounded the corner of her duplex she was surprised to see that the U-Haul was missing from Chris's driveway.  
  
"Wow, there must not have been a lot of stuff in that U-Haul. I didn't even hear him move anything around last night."  
  
London kept walking, thankful that the missing U-Haul probably meant that Chris was gone and she wouldn't run into him today. If she was lucky she'd be able to celebrate her Dad's birthday with everyone and get home before she ran into him coming back. He did say he had work, though she didn't know what kind of work he did or even where it was. With any luck maybe he'd be working all day and late into the evening and she wouldn't see him at all. It wasn't that she didn't like him either that made her not want to see him. It was actually the opposite. She felt like a girly teenager around him, like all that sexual frustration she never really had before came to a boiling point. London was certain that it was some kind of belated puberty thing. Women could hit puberty at twenty-seven, couldn't they?  
  
While trying to keep her mind off of Chris and her obvious hormonal issues she seemed to be having, she walked the long sidewalk down the hill and took the next street over. Her family lived on the other end of Stillwater, but that wasn't where she was heading. It was too far to walk and she didn't have a car. So instead she walked to her Dad's business that was not too far away from her place.  
  
London's father, John Travis, owned the best body and mechanic shop within the county. London's great-grandfather had originally started the business and since then it had been passed down from family member to family member. Everyone in Stillwater knew their family and the birthday party was going to be massive with all the people attending. It was probably going to go into the late hours of the night with bond fires and music since it was a Saturday.  
  
Her brother, James, was actually the next to inherit the business, as long as he stopped messing around. He was very smart, which meant he got bored with things easily. He also tended to have multiple women he was seeing, which created a lot of issues around town. His last so-called 'girlfriend' had piled all of his stuff up outside her house and set it on fire...  
  
Needless to say, that's how he ended up living with her for a few months.  
  
London turned down another street and smiled wide as her father's shop came into view. She could already see her dad outside in his work overalls and leaned over the engine of an old rusted sedan. Next to his feet and half wedged under the car was another man that she was sure was James.  
  
"Wow, at work already?" She mumbled as she got closer to the two working on the car. This was the first time in years she'd actually seen her brother show up early and on time. Maybe James was turning over a new leaf. She hoped so. He might be a jerk sometimes, but she did love him dearly.   
  
"Try it again!" She heard her father bellow, his voice deep and weathered. She loved his voice, it was so rich and soothing that she often missed hearing it every day.  
  
"Hey, Daddy, happy birthday!" London said happily as she approached. Her father looked up and quickly stepped away from the car as he grinned, arms out for a hug.  
  
"Loni! Come here, girl." He bellowed again as London grinned and trotted up to him, giving him a big hug. His strong arms hugged her tightly as she attempted to squeeze him back. A moment later they let go of each other and her father grinned a toothy, bearded grin at her.  
  
"How ya been, sweet girl?"  
  
"Just fine daddy. Sorry I haven't been by lately, been a little swamped with work."  
  
"It's okay, I know you're busy leading your own life. If only your brother was half as responsible." He muttered the last sentence and London smiled, glancing at the pair of feet still sticking out from under the old car. Her brother hadn't said anything about the obvious dig, probably sulking.  
  
London smiled awkwardly and squatted down, looking under the car. It wasn't uncommon for her dad to give her brother a hard time, but she never knew quite how to handle it.   
  
"Good Morn—" London stopped mid-sentence as it wasn't her brother's bearded face and green eyes that were grinning at her...  
  
Bewildered, London stared at Chris with her mouth half hanging open. Her heart did a kind of flip-flop and she sucked in a quick breath of surprise.  
  
"Chris?" She half whispered.  
  
Chris grinned wider, his eyes sparkling with amusement. His work overalls were already covered in dirt and splashes of oil, his hands buried deep inside the undercarriage of the car. Her father laughed loudly at her surprise as she stood up. Looking flustered, she frowned at him.  
  
"I see you know Christopher."  
  
"U-uh...y-yeah. Kind of. He's my new neighbor." London stumbled over her words as she tried to get some sort of composure back. This was completely unexpected and she quickly tried to think back over last night conversation. Was there anything that they had said to each other that could have hinted that he worked for her father? No... She was sure she would have picked up on it, even over her attraction.   
  
Chris crawled out from under the car and stood, pulling a rag out of his pocket to wipe his hands. He still hadn't shaved, but London had grown up around grungy men with big bushy beards. In a way, it made him almost more attractive and London swallowed hard as she took a few steps back to give him space.   
  
"This is perfect! We can all head to the house together then and I can drop you off at the same place." Her father smacked Chris's back hard making him stagger as her father laughed. He seemed to be used to the gesture and chuckled as he stuffed his rag back in his pocket.   
  
London felt panicked, this was a disaster! Now she was getting a ride with him to and from the party. Her dad loved efficiency any time he could manage it. It was also hard to say no to the man, he looked like a medieval Viking with his blonde hair and beard. He was also the sweetest man she'd ever known.  
  
Saying no wasn't an option. And neither was suddenly coming down with the flu.  
  
Trying her best to pull herself together and despite the butterflies in her stomach, London gave Chris a small smile and nodded to her dad.  
  
"Sure, that sounds great."  
  
"Good, good! We'll get out of these and we'll start headin'. Come on Chris." Her father shooed Chris towards the open garage shop door as London stood there watching them walk away. Once they were inside the shop she bit her lip and took a sip of her tea to try and settle her nerves.   
  
"Okay, this isn't a big deal. He can sit in the front and you can sit in the back. Or maybe you can

sit in the front and he can sit in the back. Dad will probably have him wrapped up in a conversation for the entire party."  
  
Talk to herself seemed to calm her racing heart a little and she took another sip of her tea. London made her way towards her father's truck that was parked on the side of the shop. She wasn't dragging her feet, but she wasn't exactly skipping either. As soon as she reached it, her father and Chris emerged. Both men were clean and dressed in semi-nice clothes, jeans and semi-spotless shirts. Her dad's shirt was still sporting a small oil stain, but it wasn't that noticeable.   
  
"Ready Sweetie?" Her father asked as he unlocked the brand new Ford with the key fob.  
  
"Yep." She said as she reached for the passenger door handle as Chris came up beside her. She gave him a timid smile as she opened the door and stopped mid-motion to stare at a large box of car parts taking up the front seat. Her father hopped in like nothing was wrong and London blinked at the small extended cab that was just barely big enough for her to fit in, and she was small. Chris was over six foot, it would be a squeeze for him.  
  
"Uh, Dad?" London prompted quietly as her father glanced at his truck clock as he started the pickup. The loud engine roared and drowned out her soft voice and a moment later her father was suddenly panicked.  
  
"Shit, your mother is going to skin me alive. Come on you two, squeeze in. Don't touch those parts, there for your brother's old Camaro." Her father urged, his deep voice sounding worried and a little frightened.  
  
Chris smiled at her when she glanced at him, "Do you want me to go first?"  
  
London shook her head a little too quickly and carefully stepped on the side assist to get in. Space was small and cramped but she scooted as far over as she could possibly get so Chris could squeeze in beside her. Once his hunky form was wedged in and the doors shut, her father threw the truck in reverse so hard she lurched forward. London's head was about to hit the back of her father's seat. London let out a startled sound of surprise as she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain.   
  
Strong hands gripped her arms quickly and stopped her forward motion. London opened her eyes and blinked at the leather just a few centimeters from her nose.   
  
“You alright?” Chris asked as London looked at him, her heart racing from the adrenaline.   
  
“Y-yeah...” She said, trying to sit up a little straighter as he took his hands back. His face looked concerned and it was making her nervous with how much his eyes seemed to look at her.   
  
“Thank you...” London murmured softly as she gripped her cup of tea in her hands.   
  
"Sorry, Sweetie!" Her father laughed as he finished pulling out of the parking lot. The next second they were moving forward and speeding down the main road towards her family's home. The close proximity to Chris was making her still feel nervous so she forced herself to look out the side window to keep her mind occupied.  
  
This was going to be a very long day...

 

 


	4. Heart Stopper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A new love will soon be in your life._   
>  _Don't screw it up._   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE: This chapter was almost complete rewritten because London was previously out of character. Hopefully this read better now and she is more 'herself'. Thank you guys for reading!

* * *

The ride to her families home didn't take that long. It was a nice ranch style house on the outskirts of town that was originally a small, single floor plan with two bathrooms and a simple work garage. It had been added on to over time from her great-grandfather, grandfather, and father respectively. Normally houses that were added on to throughout generations tended to look like they were several parts of different houses brought together to make up a bigger house. However, her family took great care in keeping the overall look the same, making it a stunning, yet homey place to visit. Growing up in such a place made London realize, not for the first time, how lucky she was to have such a wonderful place to return to with good memories.  
  
Chris engaged her father in conversation during the drive while she stayed silent and kept her eyes glued out the window. The two talked mostly about the rusted sedan they had just been working on. She wanted to join in and maybe talk with Chris a little more, but it just seemed awkward with her father present. Not to mention she was just starting to get a grip on the fact that he was not only her new neighbor but her father's new employee.  
  
The topic shifted from the sedan to more of a family focus and London's attention was pulled away from the window.  
  
“I'm really glad you managed to make it here on such short notice. Now you can meet Loni's brother, James, and my wife, Shelly.” Her father said happily. London smiled as she looked at her dad's reflection in the rearview mirror. He was a hard worker and loved his family, seemed like a rarity in this day and age. Maybe that's why London never really found anyone she wanted to be with long term. No one seemed to measure up to her father.  
  
“I'm looking forward to it as well, Mr. Travis,” Chris replied, a smile in his voice. London stole a glance at him, she lingered too long on his face though and he seemed to sense she was looking at him. All of a sudden his hazel eyes were locked on hers and she blinked at him. Feeling her face flush slightly, she panicked and quickly looked away. If she had the ability to become invisible, she would have. She pretended to be fascinated by the lid of her to-go cup, letting her thumbs rub the edges of it.  
  
Chris watched her for a moment longer. Just barely out of the corner of her eye she saw the smile on his face. She was afraid to look at him directly through and kept her head down.  
  
“Son, I told you to call me John.” Her father voice sounding chiding and yet filled with humor.  
  
“Sorry, it's just kind of weird to call you that. You're my boss.” Chris answered humbly and shrugged.  
  
“Hmmm, true.” Her father hummed thoughtfully as her old home came into view, “But today we're like family! No 'Mr. Travis' talk when not at the shop. I don't need to be feelin' all professional at my own party!” John bellowed, chuckling as he glanced up at London in the rearview mirror. London was keeping her head down and pretending that she was the cabin boy from Treasure Island and stuck in a barrel. It helped that the extended cab was so small.  
  
The inside of the truck grew quiet and a few silent moments ticked by before her father parked in front of the work garage. London let out a small breath of relief when Chris opened the door and squeezed out. Her father grabbed the box of car parts from the front seat and exited as well. London scooted across the backseat, her cup in her hand. The smell of the chilly autumn air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath about to step out of the cab.  
  
“Need a hand?” Chris asked and London startled slightly, not realizing that he was standing in front of the open door and waiting for her.  
  
“O-oh... No. I'm okay. Thank you.” She smiled softly, trying to not sound like a complete imbecile. Chris gave her a smile as he leaned in, which had her heart pick up a few paces.  
  
“I won't bite. Come on.” Chris held out his hand as he stood straight again and London, not really sure what to do in the situation. Swallowing, she extended one hand and took his. Stepping down with his help made getting out a lot easier, especially with wearing a skirt like she was.  
  
“Thank you...” She said quietly, looking down at her cup in her hand. This was awkward. Correction, she was awkward. This was getting to be too much, she wasn't a teenager anymore. She should be more confident, or something. London looked up at Chris, who was giving her a grin that was kind of goofy but charming.  
  
“Sure.” He said as she moved out of the way, Chris shutting the truck door. A moment later her father, John, was back minus the box. His eyes were shining and he grinned, slapping Chris on the back again.  
  
“See? I told you he was a gentleman!” John laughed as he took in London's slightly flushed cheeks and timid stance. London felt her cheeks redden a bit more as she cleared her throat.  
  
“Uh...y-yeah.” God, she needed to get out of here and look for any excuse to get away from this awkwardness.  
  
“Loni, I think mom is waitin' for you. Chris,” John said, turning to look at Chris directly, “Come with me, I want to show you around.”  
  
Chris nodded, “Sure thing.”  
  
London breathed a little easier, seeing how her father was giving her an out. She took it in a second and smiled suddenly in her relief. Chris blinked slightly as she did.  
  
“Right, Mom. Okay, well have fun!” She said cheerily and headed towards the house. She would have run if she wasn't in a skirt, but that would have probably ended with her face down in the dirt.

* * *

Chris watched as London walked quickly towards the back of the house. She was obviously relieved to get away and it was quite clear to him that she liked him. Or at least found him somewhat attractive. She stuttered, grew quiet and stole glances at him. Normally, when a woman was attracted to him they would cling and act all girly. This smart, long-skirted, librarian looking cat woman seemed to be downright bashful. It was kind of cute actually.  
  
While Chris was thinking this over his boss, John, came up beside him and watched his daughter retreat to the house. Scratching his beard thoughtfully, he chuckled.  
  
“That girl is still as quiet as ever. Makes me worry about her.”  
  
Chris looked at John and shrugged, “Well, it's not a bad thing.”  
  
John looked at Chris for a moment, his bright green eyes studying Chris's face. After a moment he grinned broadly as he clamped a large, bear-like hand on his shoulder.  
  
“No, it's not a bad thing. Come on, I want to show you around. It'll be a while before the party starts. James probably isn't here yet anyway.” John mumbled the last part before suddenly slapping Chris's back hard enough to make him stagger. Chris wasn't bothered by it, he was actually getting used to it.  
  
John motioned towards the workshop behind them, “Come on, I'll show you my pride and joy. I keep all the best toys in here.”  
  
Without warning, John started walking off towards the garage they parked in front of. Chris took one last look back at the house that London had disappeared into before following.

* * *

“Hey, Mom,” London said as she entered through the back door and into the kitchen. Her mother was already in the kitchen cooking up a storm just like she always did. All of the counters were stacked with food ranging from potato salad to deserts, not to mention the mounds of marinated ribs and steaks currently sitting in coolers on the floor.  
  
Shelly Travis, the woman in question and London's mother, was the same height as her and smiled the moment she laid eyes on her. Her dark hair was slowly becoming peppered with white, yet her blue eyes were crystal clear and sharp as always. Out of everyone in the entire family, they were the two shortest. While London was the quiet one in the family, her mother was completely different. She was a 'firecracker' as her father often said.  
  
“There's my girl!” Her mother, apron dusted with flour and various other splashes of things, hurried over and gave her a quick hug.  
  
“So glad to see you, sweetie. It's been too long.”  
  
“It's been a week Mom. We went grocery shopping last Tuesday.” London said as she smiled at her mother's exaggeration and the slim, cheery woman grinned.  
  
“Well, I'm getting old you know.” She gave her a wink and quickly shooed her deeper into the kitchen.  
  
“Mom, you're not old. You're barely over fifty.” London chided her and her mother grinned wider.  
  
“Tell that to my aching back. Oh! I almost forgot! Did you meet your father's new employee? I hear he's a hottie.” Her mother's voice took on a girly quality and London found her cheeks growing hot at the mention of Chris.  
  
“Why do you say that? I mean, he hasn't been in town even a whole day.”  
  
“Sweetie, this is a small town. People talk.” Her mother snorted slightly, giving her a look of 'you should know this by now' and London bit her lip slightly.  
  
“Oh.” She murmured softly.  
  
“Coffee?” Her mother asked as she quickly looked inside the double oven before moving to the cabinet next to it to grab two mugs.  
  
London shook her head, “Oh no, I brought tea.” She said, holding up her to-go cup.  
  
Shelly smiled and put one of the mugs back before pouring herself a cup of coffee.  
  
“So tell me,” Her mother gave her a sly smile as she took a sip of the hot liquid, “Is he hot?”  
  
“Mom,” London said, blushing slightly as she took off her cardigan and folded it, placing it on one of the kitchen stools. Shelly chuckled and shrugged.  
  
“Well, that's my answer. You like him.” She wiggled her eyebrows and London felt her face grow a little hotter as she quickly grabbed one of the aprons off a nearby hook.  
  
“Mom, please.” She pleaded as she slipped it over her head and tied it around her waist. “Please don't tease me.”  
  
Shelly chuckled and set her cup down, walking over to her and giving her a hug just as she finished tying her apron.  
  
“I'm not teasing.

Just asking a question. Now,” Her mother said, a sparkle in her eye, “Let's get cooking!”


	5. Shyness Is A Woman's Worst Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Just because you are quiet, doesn't mean people aren't listening._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Got wrapped up in life stuff. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please, do leave a comment. I love hearing from you guys and it kind of keeps me going when I write. I answer every comment I get, so don't think you won't get a response. ^_^
> 
> Thanks to all who have read so far and left Kudos! It means a lot to me. 
> 
> Also, you can drop me a line on Tumblr, https://binxverse.tumblr.com/
> 
> UPDATE: This chapter has been FULLY rewritten to fix London's bitchiness and out of character actions. Thanks for your patience folks!

* * *

London and her mother continued cooking like they were going to be feeding an army of people. Which was true in a sense. London had divided up the different types of gatherings that her family often took part in over the course of her life into several categories. There were the common family gatherings, the holiday gatherings and the run of the mill small get-togethers that her family always seemed to be having despite the temperature or weather outside.   
  
Then there were what London called 'Town Gatherings'. These were the main events that pretty much everyone went to between work, school or whatever. There were only a handful of them per year and her family always seemed to be at the center of them, one way or another.  
  
Her father's birthday was definitely a 'Town Gathering'. Being the only auto and body mechanic in town, he carved out his own niche. Everyone knew him and everyone liked him. He did excellent work and prided himself on making sure the community, as far as their vehicles were concerned, were taken care of.  
  
London actually appreciated the fact that there was so much to food to prep, as it was a good distraction from the weird turn of events that had been presently going on. It allowed her mind to find that peaceful blankness as she cut, mixed and baked. Despite seeing her family on a regular basis, she didn't come home all that often anymore and missed the ease of working in silence with her mother in the kitchen.  
  
Both women were working steadily away; Shelly finished slicing her famous pot roast and London put the finishing touches on her father's birthday cake. It wasn't anything fancy, but she prided herself on how nice she had smoothed out the large cake and added several colors of frosting. The first time her mother had let her decorate her father's cake, it had turned out to look like some kind of alien from another planet. But today, she could proudly say that the small flowers she had lined and sprinkled with edible glitter looked way better.  
  
“Almost done with that cake?” Her mother asked as she came over to inspect London's work. London nodded and grinned.  
  
“Yep. I think its just about done. What do you think?”  
  
Shelly smiled and gave her a warm side hug, “It looks great! Your father will love it.”  
  
“I hope so,” London said softly as she set down the tube of frosting she had been using and picked up the cake. Carefully, she followed behind her mother to the fridge. London was slightly worried that the cake wouldn't fit, but upon opening the fridge door it was easy to see that Shelly had made sure to leave plenty of room for it. Once it was in the fridge, London smiled at Shelly, who gave her a nod and smile in return.  
  
“Okay, I think that just about –.”  
  
Her mother's words were cut off as the sound of the front door banging shut and her father's loud talking drifted into the kitchen.  
  
“Sounds like your father has finished showing Chris around.” Her mother said casually and picked up her coffee mug to take a quick sip. London nodded and went to grab her own cup of tea, which was probably cool by now.  
  
“Alright, the living room is over here, the bathroom is over here. That door leads to the first garage and up the stairs are the bedrooms and two baths.” Her father's voice rumbled as he spoke and she faintly heard Chris respond, but not actually what he had said.  
  
Sipping on her cold tea, London felt her stomach tighten slightly. A combination of nervousness and something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She could hear their footsteps make their way to the kitchen and in the next moment, her father and Chris appeared in the archway.  
  
“Hello, Beautiful,” John said as he entered, leaning down to kiss his wife on her cheek. Her mother grinned at the show of affection and poked him in the ribs.  
  
“Now don't go making Chris feel bashful now.” She teased before turning her attention back to Chris who was looking around the kitchen with surprise.  
  
“Hello, I'm Shelly. It's nice to finally meet you, Chris.” Shelly held out her hand and Chris offered up a charming smile as he shook her hand gently.  
  
“Nice to meet you too ma'am.” He said politely and London held back the giggle she wanted to let out. Shelly gave him a sour face and shook her head.  
  
“No, no. No 'ma'am' stuff. Just call me Shelly dear, everyone does.”  
  
“Alright.” He said, his smile broadening as he glanced at London. Despite trying to hold in her giggle, she still made a soft noise of amusement. London's face flushed slightly as she quickly took another sip of her cold tea.  
  
“I must say, this is a lot of food,” Chris commented, the smile turning into a grin.  
  
“Well, there's going to be a lot of people here. Pretty much the entire town.” Shelly said with pride as she wrapped her arm around John, who was presently eying the large container of pasta salad on the counter.  
  
“Really? That many?” Chris asked, surprised.  
  
“Yep. We do a lot of these kinds of gatherings throughout the year.” Shelly noticed John eyeballing the bowl and squeezed his arm slightly. He blinked as he looked at her and gave her a silly smile for being caught.  
  
“Well, make yourself at home Chris. The party is going to start soon. Why doesn't London show you around the house?” Shelly motioned to London who looked a bit wide-eyed at her mother.  
  
“But I – .” London started before her father cut her off and nodded.  
  
“That's a great idea! She can show you the rest of the house, so you don't get lost. I'm going to make a phone call.” John kissed Shelly again on the cheek and she let her hand slip from his arm.  
  
“Alright.” Chris said, his hands in his pockets and a soft, waiting look in his eye, “Well?”  
  
London, who was presently trying not to have a panic attack, swallowed the mouthful of tea she had almost forgotten about.  
  
“U-uh... Yeah, okay.” London slipped off her apron after setting her cup down and hung it up on the hook where she had gotten it. Seriously, what the heck was her mother thinking asking her to show Chris around? Her father had pretty much done that already. It's not like she was going to show him anything else that he hadn't already seen.  
  
London lead Chris out of the kitchen, just as her mother's soft voice whispered something to her father. Something was definitely suspicious about it, but she was a little too distracted by Chris's close proximity.  
  
Once they entered the hallway, London walked a little farther before stopping and looking at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but his steady attentive look made the words disappear. Chris smiled at her, hands in his pockets as he bounced a little on his feet. It was childish kind of gesture, but it seemed to work for him. A second later, Chris motioned to the stairs.  
  
“So, does your brother still live at home?”  
  
The question seemed out of left field and London blinked, her mouth closing and then opening again to answer him.  
  
“Oh no, not for a while now. We both have rooms with all of our childhood stuff in them, but we haven't lived here in a while. I'm not really sure where James is living now. I did hear that he's been living with his new girlfriend.” London smiled sheepishly as she shrugged.  
  
Chris nodded and shrugged, “Well, want to show me your room?”  
  
“My...room?”  


* * *

Chris followed London up the stairs, trailing a bit behind her. The walls surrounding the staircase had pictures of his boss, his wife, London, and James. James's blonde hair and thick beard gave him a screaming resemblance of his father, while London's small stature and blond hair was a lighter version of her mother.   
  
There was an entire hoard of pictures, ranging from holidays to everyday life, and what he was sure was a few vacations. They all looked happy and it was clear to see while James was obviously the outspoken, adventurous one, London was quiet and always in the background. She never seemed to be the main focus of any of the pictures, though she did smile that soft smile he'd seen so many times since he'd met her.  
  
The trek up the stairs was a quick one and once they reached the landing, London turned and motioned to the door on her right.  
  
“So this is my parent's room.” The door was closed, but he wasn't particularly interested in what laid behind it anyway. What he really wanted to see was London's room. Now he did realize that wanting to see a girl's childhood room was borderline creepy, but something about her just seemed to peek his interest. She wasn't wearing her glasses today, which made him think they were maybe reading glasses. But he kind of liked the fact that he could see her green eyes so clearly without them in the way.  
  
“Over here is the guest bedroom,” She motioned to another door that was wide open, housing a decent sized bed, a nightstand and a dresser. The room was simple, yet homey looking.  
  
London walked a little more down the small hallway and motioned to two opposing doors. It was clear to see she was taken a little off guard by his sudden wanting to see her room, but she seemed to try and compose herself as much as possible. Again, he was finding it cute as hell.  
  
“This one is James's room and this one is mine.” She motioned to the door on the left, which was covered in a combination of flower stickers and a few pages of various life quotes. It seemed rather fitting that her door looked girly, yet sophisticated. James's door had a poster of a chick in a skimpy bikini and Chris found himself grinning.  
  
London followed Chris's gaze and forced a small laugh, “Yeah, he put that there to bug me when we were in high school.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Yeah.” London shrugged as Chris looked at her, an amused smile on his lips.  
  
“Why?”  
  
“I think he thought it would get a rise out of me. But it's his door, I never really cared what he put on it.” London said thoughtfully before turning and opening her childhood door.  
  
Chris chuckled, this girl was surprisingly honest. Even though she was nervous and shy, she seemed to adopt an attitude of 'live and let live'. Which also made him wonder what kind of person James was going to be. He had a feeling he'd either like him or hate him. Definitely no middle ground.  
  
London stepped into her bedroom and looked down at her feet for a moment, “Uh, you can come in. I'm afraid my room isn't all that wonderful.”  
  
Her voice was soft and shy, which made Chris have the sudden urge to hug her. He was attracted to her, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, this wasn't a sex thing. This was more like, he wanted to let her know she wasn't alone and that she could trust him.  
  
_Baby steps_...He reminded himself. There was a high chance that if he moved too fast, she'd run for the hills. This wasn't the kind of girl who enjoyed the chase, this was the kind of girl that needed reassurance and to be treated like she was special...  
  
“Chris?” London spoke up, breaking his train of thought. Chris shook his head and gave her a goofy grin.  
  
“Sorry, I was thinking about Butthead.”  
  
London blinked, “Butthead? You mean my cat?”  
  
“Yeah,” he grinned wider as she furrowed her brow in confusion. God, it was a cute look.  
  
“Why?” She prompted.  
  
“I don't know. He seems like a good cat.” It was a bullshit answer and a white lie to cover up his sudden urge to hug her and his true thoughts. She didn't look like she bought it for a moment though and simply rolled her eyes playfully as she smiled.  
  
“You're weird.”

 


	6. Teasing 101

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> __
> 
> _Teasing is the best foreplay._

* * *

London found herself doing what she never really had done before. Enjoying her conversation with a member of the opposite sex that didn't focus on, well, sex. Or the probability of doing his homework...  
  
After Chris took in her wall-length bookshelf, packed with books, of course, he teased her about being a bookworm. It wasn't anything that she hadn't heard from her brother or his friends, but somehow Chris teasing her didn't annoy her. His face and eyes were playful and amused, which London found made her heart pound in that weird way she'd started to associate with Chris.   
  
The topic then turned from her 'bookworm status' to other things. She was surprised to find that while he was a goofy mechanic, he was smart. He recognized some of the books on her shelves and engaged her in conversation. No one had ever really done that before. Not a guy anyway. Normally they would steer away from her weird collections of fantasy, fiction, mystery, science and of course, classic literature. She wondered what he would think if he saw the inside of her duplex...which housed more books.   
  
The conversation shifted again to the few photos of her on her walls. They were pretty much the only thing on her walls, she was a simplistic person for the most part. However, that didn't seem to be off-putting to Chris at all. He studied the pictures of her with interest.   
  
“What is this? A book club?” Chris questioned as he squinted at the small Polaroid he'd been studying.   
  
“O-oh. Yeah,” London hadn't meant to stutter but the picture was when she was in elementary school. Her hair was longer then, hanging around her face like a curtain. Her glasses were twice as big then too, not to mention she wore a pale blue jumper with miss matched socks.   
  
“I started a book club when I was little. Trying to get more kids interested in reading. It took a while to get going, but eventually, it became a solid club at school.” London spoke softly as she stood beside Chris to look at the picture. She was barely smiling in it and standing in front of a massive pile of books that had been donated to the school. Behind her was a small sign that read 'Stillwater Literature Club'. She'd been so nervous and a little sad at the time now that she thought about it.   
  
“Man, that is a ton of books. A good mix too, just a bit of everything. If they had that kind of stuff at my school, I'd probably have enjoyed college more.” He laughed and London blinked.   
  
“You went to college?”   
  
Chris smirked and turned to face her, suddenly that goofy persona was gone and a masculine one took its place. London's eye grew wider as her mouth went dry.   
  
“Is that hard to believe?” His voice was deeper she thought and London felt her heart try and come out of her chest. Good lord in heaven, he was so damn sexy that London didn't realize that she was suddenly backing away from him with her hands up.   
  
“O-oh, n-n-no! I just didn't think... I mean my dad... d-doesn't like to read... s-so...” Her voice wavered as she stuttered, still backing up. Chris smirked a little wider and took a step forward, which made her panic and she backed up quicker.   
  
Not realizing her old bed was behind her, she bumped into it in her haste and ended up falling back on it. She let out a squeak of surprise just as her door banged open and Chris started laughing.   
  
“Yo!” Said a familiar voice and London jumped, trying desperately to sit up as she looked at the door.   
  
“J-James?!”   
  
Her brother stood in the doorway, looking massive and just as every bit of a Viking like her father. His green eyes were more of a forest green and his blonde beard was twice as bushy. His hair was longer though, making him look more like a mountain man.   
  
James's eyes looked her over before shifting to Chris, who was still chuckling like a little kid.   
  
“Oh man, I didn't mean to scare you.” Chris laughed more as he held his hand out to London. Before she could react, he pulled her to her feet and gave her a soft pat on her shoulder. The touch sent a jolt through her body and it took her a full minute to realize that Chris had left her side and was talking with her brother.   
  
“You must be James,” Chris said, holding out his hand.   
  
James eyed Chris from head to toe for a moment and then smirked as he gripped his hand, giving it a tight firm shake.   
  
“Chris, right? Dad told me you'd be starting at the shop.”   
  
“That's right.”   
  
The two men seemed to grow quiet and London could feel the building tension in the air. She didn't understand why, but clearly, James was jumping to conclusions. It was written all over his face. London opened her mouth to say it wasn't what it looked like but Chris spoke before she had the chance.   
  
“Don't worry. I'm not pulling a fast one on your sister. She's just fun to tease.”   
  
The tension that hah been slowly building in those few short seconds seemed to suddenly dissipate and James laughed, slapping a bear-like hand down on his shoulder, squeezing.   
  
“Good, I'd hate to have to try and hide a body,” his voice barely reaching London's ears. She opened her mouth once again to defend herself, but her brother continued speaking like she wasn't there.   
  
“She is fun to tease though,” James said a little louder and less threatening. “Mom said you guys went upstairs and told me to come and get you guys. The party is already starting.” James took his hand back from Chris's shoulder and looked at London.   
  
“Already?” London said, the surprise clear in her voice.   
  
“It's already past one o'clock.” James rolled his eyes like his sister should have known that and London felt her face turn a little pale. She'd been talking to Chris in her room for over two hours...  
  
“Welp, come on you slackers. Chris, want a beer?”  
  
“Sure,” Chris said, a smile on his face and his posture completely at ease. London blinked at the two of them and watched as Chris left her room first, leaving James and her alone for a moment.   
  
“Loni,” James said once Chris's footsteps were heard going steadily down the stairs. London frowned at the seriousness in his voice.   
  
“We weren't doing anything. I just...” Her words trailed off and James snickered, pointing to her skirt.   
  
“Yeah, don't care about all that. You'd never date a mechanic and I'm pretty sure he'd never date a nerd. I just wanted to say you might want to fix your skirt, and probably your hair.”  
  
“What?”  
  
London frowned harder and turned to the small mirror on the back of her old antique dresser. Her quick fall on the bed had somehow made her long skirt get wrapped around one of her legs and exposing her other one up to her thigh. Her hair also was a mess, not to mention her shirt had shifted. They might not have done anything but her appearance alone suggested that they had. She'd seen enough girls leave Jame's bedroom in the morning to recognize the look.   
  
“Oh god,” London whispered in horror, which was covered by James's laughter. 

* * *

Chris found himself talking with a few of the locals, James as his guide. After the 'easy to misunderstand' situation upstairs, he was surprised that James was pretty laid back. The guy's small threat was understandable and Chris wasn't fazed by it in the slightest. He didn't even linger upstairs, giving London and James a moment to do their sibling thing.   
  
After coming down the stairs after him, Chris and James took to the backyard with a beer in hand. James introduced him around and even pointed out the girls that were available. Not that he was really looking, but he supposed it was a kind of bonding experience to get to know him better. James even introduced him to a few girls and presently he was chatting with a few of them. He hadn't seen London since he came downstairs and he wondered where she was.   
  
He was on his fifth beer when he decided he was going to find her. The afternoon had been semi-warm, with people coming and going throughout the day. Food and beer flowed like a river, but as time wore on, he began to worry that his little bit of teasing might have made her avoid him. Honestly, he hadn't intended on doing anything. She seemed so surprised that a guy like him had gone to college. He couldn't say that he blamed her, he was surprised he had gone too.   
  
And graduated.  
  
But that wasn't really the reason he'd teased her. She was cute and fun to tease, but honestly, he wanted to see how she'd react to one of his advances. Even though it was more teasing than anything, he felt like he needed to apologize. He liked her, she was cute with a touch of sexiness that you only notice after going through some pretty bad breakups and one night stands. She was a good girl, a sweet one at that.   
  
The birthday party was still in full swing even with the sun setting and the music shifted from country to more rock. Party lights in the shapes of stars came on to light up a good chunk of the backyard and someone had started a bond fire. Laughter drifted around, John's the most distinct of them all. The overall feeling was of togetherness and fun. Chris felt like he'd been here for years already and it had only been a day.   
  
Wandering around in through the large crowds, he began his search. He looked everywhere, there was absolutely no sign of her anywhere. Now at the risk of sounding like he was interested in his boss's daughter, not to mention he was buzzed from drinking too much too fast; he decided to ask the only person that could probably answer his question with any certainty.  
  
It only took about twenty steps before he spotted James talking to a curvy redhead.   
  
“James,” He said as he approached, “Sorry to interrupt, but I was just curious where London went.”   
  
He tried for nonchalant but was pretty sure his words didn't come out that way. After all, sober or slightly drunk, he was an honest guy. James shrugged, taking another sip of his beer.   
  
“Dude, she's probably hiding out in her 'sanctuary'.” James snickered as he casually threw his arm around the redhead, who laughed and leaned into him. Chris chuckled and shook his head, man the guy moved fast. He didn't want to say anything that might piss him off if this wasn't his girlfriend that London had mentioned earlier.   
  
“Sanctuary?”  
  
“Yeah,” James motioned with his beer bottle towards the small tree line off to the side of the house, “there's this stupid swing that she sits on. Doesn't like crowds.”   
  
“I like crowds.” The redhead spoke up, her voice sounded thick and dreamy as she began kissing James's neck. James grinned and winked at Chris, who nodded and gave a 'go get 'em tiger' kind of look. As he walked away, Chris thought maybe he might not like James as much as he thought he did. 

* * *

London sat on the swing that was attached to her favorite tree, an old oak tree that had been her favorite for reading, climbing and sleeping under. Her father had put a swing there for her when she turned seven. It was her favorite spot and it was quiet. Well, not as quiet as it normally was due to the party, but still she felt at ease here than she did mingling with all those other people. Even if she knew pretty much everyone there, too many people just made her nervous.  
  
And it opened up all kinds of possibilities for her clumsiness to make itself known.  
  
Now that she was away from the crowd and had a moment to think back on last night and the days' events, London sighed. He'd said she was fun to tease. What did that mean? Did that mean she was just fun to tease because she was an easy target? Or did it mean he teased her because he liked her? What if he did like her? What would she do? Avoiding him wasn't an option and acting like one of her brothers' girls wasn't like her at all.   
  
Sighing again, London slowly swung her legs back and forth, causing the swing to move gently.   
  
She was over thinking this. The guy was attractive, she'd give him that. He'd startled her in her bedroom and if he was just trying to get a rise out of her – which she thought was probably the case that she was thinking clearly – there was no reason to get so worked up. He seemed more like the type that liked rowdy girls, or those that had that kind of 'I'm the queen' kind of attitude.   
  
Yeah...  
  
There was no way he'd ever like her like that. She'd probably just end up being his friend or maybe just staying his neighbor. Which was kind of...  
  
“Sad...”

 


	7. Emotional Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> __
> 
> _Your face is a window to the soul._
> 
> _Be honest with yourself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for those of you that have kept reading, bookmarking, leaving kudos and comments! I really appreciate it! You guys are wonderful! ^_^

* * *

“Sad?”  
  
“Yeah, sad,” She said absently as another voice prompted her.   
  
London stopped her gentle swing and looked up to find Chris casually leaning against a nearby tree. She hadn't even heard him walk towards her, she'd been so lost in her own thoughts. She gawked at him like he had just appeared out of nowhere and he flashed a grin.   
  
“What?”   
  
“How did you know I was here?” London stood up from the swing, wrapping her cardigan around her more. The autumn air had really started to increase the chill in the air. She hadn't noticed before, but she was kind of cold.   
  
“Your brother. I thought I better find you since I hadn't seen you in a few hours.”   
  
“Oh,” London bit her lip and tucked her arms across her chest and around herself to keep warm. “Sorry, I uh...don't really like large crowds of people.” She said softly and Chris nodded like he'd somehow known that was the case.   
  
“So what's sad?”  
  
“What?” London blinked, her voice surprised for a moment before it dawned on her that he was the one who had asked that very same question only a few minutes before.   
  
“Oh, uh...n-nothing. I was just...thinking.” She secretly cursed herself as she tried to come up with some excuse but failed. She couldn't very well tell him she'd been thinking about him and analyzing every little detail of their interactions over the last twenty-four hours. That would just come across as stalker-like.  
  
“Ah,” Chris nodded and shrugged like her response was good enough and didn't need any further explanation. London found herself staring at him for a moment, again not sure what to say. She half expected him to press her for a better answer like most people did. But he didn't...  
  
“Hey,” He said suddenly, snapping her out of her wonderment, “I've got a surprise for you.”  
  
London raised a brow and tilted her head, “A surprise?”  
  
“Yeah, close your eyes.” Chris beamed at her with that goofy smile and London chuckled, shaking her head.  
  
“We're alone in the woods in the middle of the night and you want me to close my eyes?”  
  
Chris looked shocked for a moment at what she implied, but the moment he saw her smile at him he seemed to get that she was joking. Chuckling, he rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
“Well, damn, you've got me there.”  
  
London smiled, she couldn't help it. That cute, charming mannerism that seemed to pop up at weird times was back and it made her heart do that happy kind of flip-flop in her chest.   
  
“Alright,” She said, closing the distance between them with a few steps, “since you don't seem like some weird pervert, I'll agree just this once. But when I open my eyes, I better not find you nude or something.”  
  
Chris grinned and she could barely make out his eyes shining with amusement, “Nude?”  
  
“It's a long story,” London waved her hand and then blushed slightly as her mind tried to conjure up an image of Chris nude. “Nevermind!” She said a little too loudly, before clearing her throat and trying to ignore how red her face was getting. Thank god it was too dark to really see.   
  
Chris laughed and stepped a little closer to her and looked down at her. She was used to people being taller than her, but somehow it wasn't annoying or intimidating as it usually was. London smiled bashfully and closed her eyes as Chris motioned with his hands to do so.   
  
Now that she was standing there, the sounds of music, chatter, and laughter drifting from the party she felt nervous. She heard Chris rustling with something for a moment, which made her nervousness that much more intense. A second later a thick, soft blanket was draped over her shoulders and London opened her eyes in surprise.   
  
“I'm a bit buzzed, so the cold doesn't seem that bad to me. But I figured you were probably cold from sitting on that swing for so long. So I borrowed a blanket from the couch in the living room.”  
  
London brought her hands up to grip the blanket around her and close to her chest as she looked at him. It was a sweet gesture and she wasn't really sure how to react to it. If she thought her face was red before, it was downright on fire now and she'd never been so thankful that she wasn't in a well-lit area.   
  
“T-thank you,” London mumbled, unable to get her voice to cooperate. She was afraid to look at him directly, so she stared at his boots instead.   
  
Minutes passed without either of them talking before quick footsteps were heard crunching through the dried, dead leaves. Seriously, how did she not hear Chris walk up before?   
  
“Loni?” The sound of her mother's voice reached her well before she saw her and London felt like she was about to get caught doing something she shouldn't. Which was ridiculous because she was an adult and out of the house.  
  
“M-Mom? I uh....I'm over here.” London called just as Shelly appeared, almost running right into Chris.   
  
“Oh, Jesus!” Shelly said, laughing as she managed to stop herself before she ended up right up against him. “You scared the dickens out of me! I'm glad I found you two, we're about to do the cake. Come, come.” Shelly pressed, making a shooing motion with her hands.   
  
“Oh, the cake!” London said, suddenly thankful for the distraction once again. Seriously, she was going to have to figure out how to actually talk to Chris without acting like a complete hormone struck idiot.  
  
Chris grinned, “Cake huh? What kind?”  
  
“It's a surprise! But Loni decorated it.” Shelly beamed, bragging about London, which had her sigh and roll her eyes. Okay, yes she was proud of her decorating skills this year, but this was getting really embarrassing.   
  
“Oh really? Well, I can't wait to eat it.” Chris grinned and held out his arm to Shelly who promptly took it.   
  
“My, what a gentleman.” She gave London what she thought was a wink just as Chris held out his other arm to her.   
  
“It's really dark.” It was obvious what he was saying, but London was a little too shy to actually take his arm. Her heart was pounding enough from all this mix of crazy emotions.   
  
“No, t-that's alright. I'm fine.”  
  
Chris nodded and her mother gave her a 'you're crazy' look. London rolled her eyes, sure her mother couldn't see it as Shelly and Chris turned and started walking out of the woods. London followed behind them as her mother struck up a conversation with Chris about her baking skills.   
  
London frowned as she followed behind them, she was nervous two seconds before her mother showed up and now... Well now, she felt kind of jealous. What the hell?!

* * *

Shelly was an excellent conversationalist and it was easy for Chris to see where London got her intelligence from. She was also very sincere, another quality that he saw in London.   
  
Speaking of London, he'd grabbed that blanket from the living room purely on instinct. Which looking back, he was glad he did because when he'd found her on the swing she was already starting to shiver. What he had wanted to do was wrap the blanket around her and then hold her small frame close to him to warm her up faster. Somehow though, that seemed like the wrong move.   
  
Or maybe, it would have been the right one?   
  
She was definitely making him second guess himself, but he found that he didn't mind. She was different than other girls he'd been with and her reactions were written so clearly on her face he found himself wanting to see what other kinds of faces she'd make...  
  
 _Nope...don't go there._ He scolded himself as his mind tried to take a turn for the gutter. If he started having naughty thoughts about her now, he definitely wouldn't be able to take things slow like he intended to.   
  
It was a good and bad thing that Shelly had found them standing only a few inches away from each other. If she caught on to what might have been going on, she didn't say anything. Which he was grateful for, he'd only just started working for Mr. Travis – _John_ – he was going to have to really take this slow.   
  
As they exited the woods, the party was still in full swing and his buzz had dissipated quite a bit now. He wasn't surprised to see that James was off in a corner with the curvy redhead, making out in front of everyone. He really did hope that that was his girlfriend.   
  
“Chris, would you be a dear and tell John we are going to bring the cake out now?”  
  
“Sure thing.” Chris nodded and Shelly let go of his arm. He took the liberty of taking a glance back at London who had followed them. He stared at her for a moment because he wasn't sure what the look was on her face. Her head was down like she was looking at her feet, but she was frowning. Was she upset? His heart started to panic slightly as he tried to think of what he'd done to cause that look when Shelly prompted him to get going.   
  
“Chris?”  
  
“Oh, yeah. I'm going.” He said, giving her a smile as he turned back and walked towards the crowd of people. 

* * *

London was having a hell of a time trying to figure out her emotions. This wasn't really like her, she was a logical person for the most part. And honestly, all he had done was escort her mother out of the woods like a gentleman. Which definitely made her mother approve, it had been written all over her face. London was silently cursing herself for not taking his arm when he'd offered it.   
  
“Loni, want to help me with the cake?” Her mother's voice was soothing and all-knowing, which hand London looking up from the ground at her.   
  
“Yeah, okay,” London said as her mother wrapped her arms around her and gave her a big hug.   
  
“Mom?” London asked, surprised by the suddenness of the hug and her mother merely laughed.  
  
“I love you, sweetie,” Shelly said with feeling, a smile in her voice and London felt the anxiousness, nervousness, and jealousy she'd been feeling moments before leaving her tense shoulders.   
  
“I love you too...Mom.” She said, returning the hug and Shelly gave her another squeeze before releasing her.   
  
“Come on, let's get going. Your father has been waiting all day for this.” She laughed as she and London began walking towards the house.   
  
London followed her mother closely until they reached the back door that led into the kitchen. She wasn't sure what it was that made her turn and look back at the large crowd of dancing, laughing people. However, when she did her eyes immediately landed on Chris who was standing next to her father talking. She watched him for a moment longer before turning and stepping into the house.

 


	8. Big Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> __
> 
> _The way to a man's heart is your smile._  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy COW! So sorry this took so damn long. (Mom duties got in the way.) 
> 
> ANYWHO...I made this extra long just to make up for it. 
> 
> Thanks for continuing to read! And don't hesitate to leave a comment!

* * *

London had no choice but to walk the massive cake outside with her mother. There was no way either one of them could have carried it all by themselves and James was too busy making out with his new girlfriend.  
  
Honestly, it made her embarrassed just to see them so intimate like that. They were so into each other that the rest of the world seemed to fall away. She'd thought that that kind of thing was something that you only see in movies, but when she looked at them she felt like it was an almost tangible thing.  
  
Which made London wonder what being in love was like. She was sure she'd been in love before, at least once. A young boy named Chester had been in her class in elementary school and he was just as big of a book nerd as her. But he'd been diagnosed with a serious bone disease and died over the summer. It had hurt and some of the pain still lingered even now. However, being only a little girl then, she didn't really understand if it was love or just deep-seeded friendship.  
  
“Loni,” Shelly whispered harshly, a tremendous chorus of 'Happy Birthday' broke out as they walked. London almost tripped but managed to maintain her composure. She'd been spacing out and her hands had almost let go of the cake.  
  
“Sorry,” She muttered back, her face flushing with embarrassment. If she dropped her father's cake now in front of everyone, she really would die.  
  
Shelly quickly nodded and the two of them joined in the song. London didn't really sing so much as mouthed the words, but she made an effort to smile for her father who was beaming at them.  
  
The song ended and John grinned broadly as they set the cake down on the picnic table. The fifty-seven candles, which were merely the numbers and not a whole heap of candles, glowed brightly even with all the backyard lighting. The candle choice had been her mother's, after last year when her father caught his beard on fire trying to blow them out.  
  
“Blow out the candles!” A female voice called, which was followed by a bunch of approved shouts and hoots.  
  
“Alright, alright!” John laughed loudly, a sound that made London's heart warm. It made her smile brightly and when her father leaned over and blew out the candles, everyone clapped loudly. London clapped too, as Shelly gave him a kiss on lips.  
  
“What'd you wish for John?” A male voice called from the crowd and John grinned as he wrapped a large bear arm around his wife.  
  
“I can't tell ya! It won't come true!”  
  
The crowd laughed and her mother set to work on cutting the cake. London immediately stepped up to help dish pieces out on the paper plates and passed one to her father. As soon as she went to grab the next plate, someone was already holding it out to her. Startled, London looked up as Chris smiled at her. London felt her heart give a hard pound that made her breath catch.  
  
“Here,” He prompted when London stared at him. Shaking her head quickly to clear out the sudden stall out in her thought process.  
  
“O-oh, thank you,” She whispered, taking the plate and adding a piece of cake to it. It was hard to concentrate though with Chris being so close to her and she felt her self-start to sweat. This was just getting ridiculous. She was nervous, excited and panicked all at once. Was that normal? No, she was pretty sure it wasn't.

* * *

Chris was in trouble.  
  
Not the 'oh shit we're gonna die' kind of trouble. No, this was the kind of trouble that started in the pit of your stomach and then suddenly kicked you in the balls out of nowhere. He was not one for 'love at first sight'. Lust maybe, but not love. However, Chris noticed that the moment she smiled at John when he laughed...  
  
Well, that was the kick in the balls.  
  
He was sure he'd seen her smile before. Even smirked at him once. But for some reason, that smile blew all the other soft, sweet smiles away and dazzled him with its brilliance. It was warm, happy, bright and had a light to it that could melt the coldest ice.  
  
Okay, maybe that was a bit too far...  
  
But damn it to hell if he didn't sober up so quick his breath caught and he thought he might pass out from the feeling. So he was going to have to play his cards right and slow... Like 'snail slow' because he knew just from what he had witnessed so far that this woman was _the one_. He most definitely didn't want to fuck it up.  
  
Somehow his feet moved him next to her as Shelly began to cut the cake. He was a little too wrapped up in his realization that he could picture marrying this girl that it took him a full minute to realize those green eyes of hers were staring at him. Trying to cover up whatever look was on his face, he smiled and handed her a plate.  
  
She had continued to stare at him with her eyes a little wide and her face flushing slightly. London was such pure girl, it was obvious that she didn't know how to keep her thoughts off her face. Not that he minded that...  
  
After the massive cake was consumed, himself having two pieces because it was so damn delicious, the party started to dwindle. It was only about ten thirty or so, but it felt more like four. The temperature had dropped and people had started to leave. Wishing John a happy birthday and saying their goodbyes. Chris had busied himself with picking up dishes and discarded beer bottles, cans and plastic cups. It wasn't too bad really, but he needed time to figure out how he was going to go about dating the sexy librarian.  
  
The damn thing was, he had not a clue. Other than going slow, which was going to be a very painful process for him, he wasn't that great when it came to intimacy. He knew how to talk sure, but getting to know a girl legitimately in order to date her, marry her and have little Pratts running around...  
  
“Man, I need to slow down.” Chris chuckled at himself. How the hell had he gone from working for a man and then suddenly in love with his daughter?  
  
“Chris, there you are!” Bellowed John as he came up to Chris and slapping a hard hand on his shoulder.  
“Oh, hey.” Chris blinked at him in surprise he hadn't really been paying too much attention to his surroundings. So far he'd worked his way over to the bonfire with a trash bag, the fire was barely glowing now.  
  
“So I've got a favor to ask ya.”  
  
“A favor?” Chris said as he raised his eyebrows.  
  
“Yep,” John took his hand back from Chris's shoulder and dug around in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a single key on a purple lucky rabbit's foot keychain. “Can ya take Loni home? James and his girl are spending the night, but I know she gets worried about her cat.”  
  
“Oh,” Chris said, taking the key when John pushed it into his hand, “Yeah, I can do that sir.” Chris smiled and John laughed loudly.  
  
“No 'sir' stuff now! It's still my birthday. Just drive safe and I'll see you Monday mornin'. You can bring the truck to the shop.”  
  
“Are you sure? I mean, I can bring it back to you tomorrow.”  
  
“Nah,” John said, waving Chris's words away with his massive hand. “Ya might as well keep it for the rest of the weekend. Ya might want to check out more of the sights 'round here.”  
  
“Thank you...John.” Chris grinned and John laughed as he patted his shoulder.  
  
“Come on, I'll walk ya to the truck.”

* * *

London sat in the front seat of her father's truck, he'd told her to wait for him as he was going to get Chris. She was tired but thankful that she didn't have to squeeze in the back again. Though, now that she thought about it, he was much bigger than her the front seat would be better for him. At least she wouldn't end up in his lap this time no matter where she sat.  
  
Just as she was about to get out and move to the back, she saw her father and Chris emerge from behind the house. London opened the door and slipped down to the ground just as her father came up to her door.  
  
“Whatcha doin' kido?” John asked as Chris continued around to the driver side of the truck. London blinked as she watched him for a second longer before snapping her head back around to her dad.  
  
“Dad!” She whispered, “What...?” She began, only to get wrapped up in a large hug by her father.  
  
“Don't fret, Chris is going to take you home. I'm dirt tired. You know, 'cause I'm old now.” John joked and London felt her face turn a little pale.  
  
“But Dad, he was drinking...”  
  
“Chris?!” John suddenly bellowed as Chris hopped in the driver seat and put the key in the ignition.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“When was your last beer?”  
  
Chris turned the key forward slightly so the clock on the dash lit up, “About four hours ago.”  
  
“How many fingers am I holdin' up?” John prompted as he kept his arm around London and held up three fingers.  
  
“Three,” Chris answered immediately.  
  
“Dad, that doesn't mean...” London huffed, she wasn't really worried about him being intoxicated. Honestly, he looked stone cold sober. But she was nervous about being in the truck with him.  
  
“Hey,” Chris said, drawing her attention as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the steering wheel, “I'll get you home safe. And if you really don't want me to drive, you can drive instead.”  
  
His voice was serious and London opened her mouth to try and speak, but nothing came out. His hazel eyes looked so calm and confident that she let out a soft sigh and bit her lip.  
  
“No, that's ok. You drive.”  
  
John gave her a quick squeeze and held the door open for London as she climbed back in. Damn, she was sure her face was red again.  
  
“Thanks for the cake sweetie,” John said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before shutting the door. London buckled her seat belt, as did Chris and in the next moment he started the truck and began to back out of the driveway.

* * *

The ride back to her duplex seemed to take a lot less time than it had to get to her parent's house. Now that she was alone with Chris in the small space of the truck, she didn't know what to say. Or where to look. She had the urge to glance at him, which she did...several times. But each

time it made her feel like her face was on fire.  
  
Seriously, this was no big deal. It was just like when her brother would drive her and drop her off at home after school before going out on a date. But Chris wasn't her brother and he was her next door neighbor. The sweet relief of being home wouldn't really sink in since he was going to be sleeping right next door.  
  
On the other side of her bedroom wall...  
  
The truck came to a halt and London blinked as she looked up from her hands that she'd clasped in her lap. They were here.  
  
“We're here,” Chris said, echoing her thoughts. His voice seemed deeper and it sent goosebumps along her skin.  
  
“Y-yeah,” London answered quietly.  
  
The two of them sat in silence for a very long time. Neither one of them looking at the other and London felt like she was going to explode. She wasn't even sure why she felt like that either. She admitted to herself that she liked him, but she didn't think saying it out loud would be a good idea. Her mind drifted back over her thoughts when she was sitting on her swing before.  
  
She wasn't his type. That was for sure, but something about him made her want to be. It was followed by the knowledge and sadness that she wouldn't be, ever.  
  
London let out a soft sigh unconsciously.  
  
“Tired?” Chris asked, turning in his seat to finally look at her. The silence was full now that the truck had been turned off and London gave him a soft smile.  
  
“Yeah. Long day.”  
  
“Yeah,” He agreed, “But fun. I'm surprised your brother stopped making out with that girl long enough to sing happy birthday.”  
  
He gave her a goofy smile and London laughed, “Yeah, well his new girlfriend is totally into him.”  
  
“So that was his girlfriend?” Chris raised his brows as London nodded.  
  
“Yeah, I think this is the first time I've seen him look so happy. Maybe he'll finally settle down and stop chasing women.” London's voice was soft, yet full of hope. She really did want her brother to be happy, even if she found him to be a pain sometimes.  
  
“Do you?” Chris asked and London blinked at him, tilting her head.  
  
“Do I, what?”  
  
“Do you want to settle down?” Chris's question was filled with unspoken meaning and London's face turned a deep crimson.  
  
“U-Uh, well, I mean...sure. Doesn't everyone?”  
  
“Hmmm.” Hummed Chris. He looked at his garage door in front of him and then smiled at her with that boyish smile as he took the keys out of the ignition.  
  
“Welp,” He said casually, “better hit the sack.”  
  
“O-Oh...y-yeah...” London stuttered, why did he ask her that? And why was he being so casual now? What was it with this guy!?  
  
“Alright,” Chris said as he got out and London scrambled out after him. He came around to the front of the truck as London approached and put his hand up. London stopped and looked at him, puzzled.  
  
“High five?” He grinned as London raised an eyebrow, “You know, for doing a good job on the cake.”  
  
London laughed and held up her small hand, “You're weird.” She said as their hands came together to make a soft slap sound.  
  
“Maybe,” Chris beamed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, “Night London.”  
  
London smiled, suddenly in a great mood, “Good night, Chris.”


	9. Date or Not a Date?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Plans are often spur of the moment; be open to the adventure!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your wonderful comments! I'm sorry this fic is taking me longer to post to (as I normally post every day), but I've been really exhausted lately. 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to you faithful readers! Thank you so much for your imput!

* * *

Chris couldn’t sleep. It didn’t matter how much he tried, he just ended up tossing and turning, staring at his ceiling and trying to find recognizable shapes in its texture. He’d started counting sheep at one point, which led to him counting how many bolts it took to replace an engine in a 1967 Chevy pickup. 

Nothing seemed to stop his mind from drifting back to London and that smile of hers. He’d been so struck by her smile at the party, that he never in a million years thought that she would give him that very same smile a few hours later. But she did…

He’d given her a high five for a good job on her cake – a silly excuse really to get close to her – and she gave him that smile. God, if he thought it was brilliant seeing it from the sidelines, he was dead wrong. When it was directed at him in all its beautiful glory he was almost completely dumbstruck. It took a lot of effort on his part to say goodnight and walk away.

The sun was just starting to rise, casting a soft yellow glow through the small slats in his blinds. He should have felt exhausted, but he wasn’t. Instead, he felt energized, feeling like he could rebuild an entire car by himself from the ground up in a few hours. Hot damn, he was in some serious trouble. 

Deciding that he shouldn’t let his energy go to waste he got up and headed towards the shower. His duplex was empty for the most part, and not just because he hadn’t unpacked, he had. All of his stuff fit into a few trash bags and one box. He’d brought his bed with him and his motorcycle, which was really the only decent possessions he had. Sure, his motorcycle wasn’t currently running, but that wasn’t the point. It had been his father’s and it was a classic there’s no way he’d ever get rid of it.

Padding on bare feet to the bathroom, Chris quickly turned on the water and stripped out of his jockeys. The water heater must have been in excellent condition because the water heated up in no time. He stepped in and started scrubbing. He wasn’t as dirty as he was most days, but a plan was beginning to form as the hot water slid over his skin.

* * *

 London jerked awake. At first, she thought the sound was part of her dream, but when the rabbit she’d been chasing after (white of course) started hopping in time to someone knocking, her brain snapped her awake.

“Ughhh…” She groaned the previous long day had really worn on her. She normally slept ten or so hours at a time. Blinking through tired eyes London groaned louder as the clock read a horrible seven o’clock. 

“James…” London muttered as she sat up and stumbled out of bed. Her hair was a mess and her sleep shorts had ridden up too high, causing her to stumble into the hallway wall as she tried to adjust them. Only James would be so mean as to knock at seven in the morning. If he was here because his girlfriend kicked him out again she was going to tell him he couldn’t stay with her. Or at least try to tell him that. He was her brother after all…

The knocking had stopped for a short time, but once she got within an arm's length a few more knocks sounded.

“Okay, alright James. I’m coming! Why do you always–.” London’s tiredness was heavy in her voice as she gently pushed Butthead away from the front door. For some strange reason, he was sitting in front of it and staring up at the door. London frowned and opened the door just a little as the cold chill of the morning quickly met her exposed skin head on.

“Good morning,” Said a familiar voice. London’s head snapped up, blinking her suddenly watery eyes as she tried to see past the bright sun that surrounded him. It only took a second for her to recognize him and she was suddenly wide awake.

“C-Chris?” London opened the door wider, the cold air making goosebumps flare along her skin and on its heels, she could feel her cheeks turning red. She was standing there with sleep shorts, a tank top that was way too big and her bed head that could have won the first place prize at a Halloween party. 

Chris, on the other hand, looked good. The kind of good that made her heart do that weird flip flop thing and her breath catch slightly. If he had any idea what he did to her just by being close to her, he never let on. He wore a simple Star Wars t-shirt with a brown, heavily worn leather jacket, jeans and the same boots he was wearing yesterday. He looked like he was fresh out of the shower, which was confirmed as a snippy cold breeze brought the clean musty smell to her nose.

_Oh god…_

London stared at him with her hand still on the door handle and Butthead rubbing on her bare leg. Chris grinned, showing teeth and his eyes wrinkling with amusement.

“Sorry, I guess I didn’t think that you could be still sleeping,” Chris chuckled as he apologized, scratching his head. His expression turned to embarrassment and London couldn’t help but give him a soft, tired smile.

“O-oh… Yeah, we got home kind of late and I’m not really a morning person.” London admitted quietly. Honestly, she had no idea what he was doing on her doorstep. She had gone to bed happy and a little giddy after his silly high five. Probably more so than she should have been, but he made her feel normal and not like some weird nerd. She’d be lying if she claimed to not be excited about seeing him so soon. Her heart just couldn’t seem to calm down at the moment. 

Chris nodded like he understood and silence seemed to drift around them, the only sound being Butthead’s loud purring against her foot and leg. However, it didn’t last long before Chris was smiling at her again.

“Well, how about I make it up to you?”

“Huh?” London blinked.

“Yeah,” Chris continued, “How about I take you out to breakfast?”

London laughed, unable to stop herself, “You want to take me out for breakfast for waking me up?” He just looked so boyish with that look on his face. 

“Yeah! Come on, it’ll be great. I’ll take to the best breakfast in town.” Chris grinned bigger as London gave him a dubious look. Something about the look in eye told her that he had originally come over to invite her to breakfast. A revelation that made her heart beat faster and her face suddenly flush. Was this a date? Was breakfast even considered a date? Maybe he was just lonely? He really didn’t know anyone and it’s not like he knew where to go.

James comment from the night before drifted back to her, “ _You’d never date a mechanic and I’m pretty sure he’d never date a nerd.”_

London swallowed a bit roughly, the sting of those words sinking in more as Butthead meowed loudly at her feet. There was no way this was a date, she shouldn’t think such foolish things. Quickly trying to recover whatever depressed look was trying to make its way onto her face, she smiled at him. 

“The best breakfast in town?” She questioned and Chris’s face practically exploded with relief and happiness.

“I swear to you, best breakfast money can buy.” He put his right hand over his heart as he held up his left in a goofy ‘scout of honor’ pose. London chuckled and nodded.

“Alright, give me ten minutes. I need to get dressed.”

“Okay.” Chris beamed at her, Butthead meowed again and Chris grinned down at the cat. Squatting down, he gave the massive grey tabby a good scratch behind his ears. 

“I’m going to borrow London for a little while. You okay with that?” He asked Butthead, whose purring redoubled as he rubbed on Chris’s fingers mercilessly. London blinked, surprised that her cat was so enamored with him. Normally, Butthead didn’t like men. Well not her brother anyway, though he did like her dad. Wow, maybe it wasn’t so much he didn’t like men, she just didn’t know that many.

Chris stood up again and gave London a boyish grin, “Ten minutes?” 

“Yes,” London promised, she just couldn’t stop herself from smiling back at him. 

Chris nodded and turned to walk back to his duplex, “Alright, come to knock on my door when you’re ready.” He called over his shoulder, a moment later he was around the corner and out of sight.

London closed the door against the cold air and the warmth of her duplex slipped around her once again, alerting her to how cold she was. Butthead meowed again as London leaned up against the door.

“I really need to stop reading so much into what he says and does. I’m going to drive myself crazy with all this hormone stuff.” London muttered, closing her eyes for a moment of silent resolution.

Eventually, she’d get to the point where things he said or did wouldn’t make her feel so nervous or self-conscious. They could just be friends and that would be fine with her. James did have point when he said they’d never date each other. He had a nose for those kinds of things, which made sense. He _had_ dated more than she had.

A depressing thought, now that it occurred to her. 

London pushed off away from the door and made her way back to her bedroom. Since this wasn’t a date, but she didn’t want to dress too casually either, she opted to change into a pair of nice jeans and another baggy sweater that hung off her shoulder. This one was teal and had a faded mermaid on the front of it. She’d found it at a thrift store in New York when she went to school. She still loved it.

London stood in front of her bathroom mirror as she quickly French braided her hair, her mouth moving in a silent mantra of, ‘ _this is not a date, it’s breakfast_ ’ over and over again. By the time she was dressed and ready to go, ten minutes had passed and the previous nervousness was pretty much squashed. This would be like having breakfast with her brother; nothing more, nothing less.

Except for the guy she was having said breakfast with wasn’t her brother…

He was funny and kind…

And was really good looking…

_Oh god…_


	10. Breakfast of Gold Leafs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Reality is what you make it._

* * *

London gave Butthead a quick rub behind his ears before leaving her duplex. She knew she was only going next door and was in her hometown, but after having lived in New York she still locked her door. After slipping her keys into her pocket she walked down the small pathway to the front and walked next door to Chris’s side.

The duplex was painted all one color, a soft grey with white trim. She was shocked to see her father’s truck still sitting parked in the driveway. Honestly, she thought her dad would have picked it up this morning. He might have been a kind and caring person, but he never, ever let anyone borrow his newest truck. Even James had never had that privilege. It occurred to London that her father had willingly given him the keys last night and had him drive her home…

“But that’s…” London stopped for a moment, frowning slightly as she stared at its shiny chrome. That definitely had to mean something, but she didn’t know what. From her understanding, he hadn’t known Chris that long, so why so much trust? Shaking her head, she continued on to his side of the duplex.

Both sides of the duplex had the exact same setup, but where her front was deep grassy green and had a small bird feeder, Chris’s side looked like it had seen better days. His grass was a little too brown even for the fall and it looked like it hadn’t been cut in months, which now that she thought about it was probably true. She wondered what he would do with his yard, curious if he was someone who liked to work outside and not just on cars. Something told her that he liked to be able to work with his hands no matter what he was doing.

London smiled to herself as she walked up the steps to his front door and knocked. She was curious where he was going to take her for breakfast. After all, it was Sunday and the perfect day for breakfast. She didn’t feel nervous anymore, which she was sure wasn’t going to last long. She would just have to keep reminding herself that Chris was new in town and she was the obvious choice for getting acclimated to his new surroundings. She was his neighbor after all, not to mention his boss’s daughter.

Knocking softly on the door, London crossed her arms over her chest to keep her hands a little warmer. She could see her breath in the chilled air as she stood there. The sound of approaching footsteps met her ears and a second later Chris opened the door. The warmth from inside hit her in a gentle wash followed closely by the smell of delicious food that made her stomach growl.

Chris beamed at her and stepped aside to let her in, “Come in.”

“Okay,” London blinked, surprised. Did he cook her breakfast? There was no way. The only one who ever cooked her breakfast was her mother. Not even James cooked breakfast when he lived with her.

Stepping inside the smell of good food intensified and London stopped mid-step, surprised again when she saw that there were two plates of food consisting of scrambled eggs with cheese on top, sausage, and toast with melted butter sitting on the kitchen counter. It was obvious that he had cooked from the pans that were currently set aside on the stove.

“I uh, well I know I said I’d take you out to breakfast. But after all the food you and your mom made yesterday it kind of inspired me to cook.” Chris scratched his head, offering up an embarrassed smile.

London looked at him and smiled, her eyes bright with humor and happiness. This was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her outside of her family. Not only that but it looked and smelled wonderful. Her idea about him planning this before crept up as he stared at her for a moment. Chris suddenly spurred into motion, moving past her to grab one of the plates and a fork. He turned around, his eyes not looking directly at her as handed it to her and London decided that she would just keep it to herself. However, she was having a really hard time keeping the smile off her face.

“Thank you,” She said as he grabbed his own plate and cleared his throat softly.

“Sure,” He nodded.

London turned to sit down at the table but stopped mid-stride as she realized he had no furniture to sit on.

“Oh, sorry. I uh, just moved in and everything. I haven’t really had time to get anything else.” His voice sounded slightly defeated, like maybe he hadn’t thought it out all the way through and London shrugged as she sat down on the floor, trying her best to hide the smile that was creeping up on her lips. He was getting awkward and it was cute.

“That’s okay, we can sit like this.” She smiled up at him and rested her plate on her lap. Chris blinked at her before grinning; the tenseness in his shoulders that was beginning to show seemed to relax a bit.

Sitting down across from her, they both began to eat. London was surprised at how flavorful the eggs were. She’d never put cheese on her eggs before, but it was decidedly the best thing she’d eaten; earning a spot right up there with The Dancing Panda.

“Wow, this is delicious.” London murmured mostly to herself, but Chris responded.

“I’m glad you like it. Though I’ve got to admit it doesn’t taste like your mom’s cooking.” Chris chuckled as he took a bite of his toast.

London smiled softly and shrugged, “She’s always been a good cook and loves to cook for people. I’m really surprised she hasn’t opened up a restaurant or something. I think she’d be great at it.”

And so the conversation seemed to just flow right out of her, just like before in her room at her parent’s house. London seemed to forget about time again, enjoying her talk with Chris. She found out that he was an only child and that he still kept in touch with his parents.

As she had guessed, he liked to work with his hands. When he explained how it felt like he had more control over things in his life when they went to hell as he fixed cars, London wished that she had that kind of ability. To be able to actually control something in her life like that physically.

Even though she lived on her own and had a stable job, she still wanted more. She explained how she first started to love books and how she wanted to write about all kinds of people, in all kinds of worlds in different situations. In her mind, those made up places were just as real as sitting on the floor across from him. But, she had to stop herself from talking because she had to remind herself that she wasn’t a novelist. She was a fortune cookie writer.

Chris watched her closely as she bit her lip. London felt her face flush a little bit as she looked away from him and at his blank white walls. The quiet of the room seemed to settle in, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

London took a deep internal breath as she reminded herself that this wasn’t a date and he didn’t like her that way. Friendship was the goal here. She didn’t even really understand how she felt anyway and they barely knew each other.

“You know,” London said thoughtfully as she looked at the white walls, “since you don’t have furniture yet, you could paint your walls. Like maybe red or something.”

“Red?” Chris said, raising his brows and looking at the wall where she was looking.

“Yeah,” London said, turning to him and smiling, “I always wanted to paint my walls when I was a kid but I was afraid I’d mess it up or something.”

London laughed softly as she shook her head and returned her gaze to the blank wall. Chris’s sudden movement startled her as she looked at him. He gathered up the plates and quickly set them in the kitchen before returning to her. London looked up at him with wide eyes as he slipped on his leather jacket and held his hand out.

“Come on,” He said, grinning. His bright hazel eyes seemed to lock onto hers and for a moment London felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“W-What?” London stuttered as she timidly extended her arm and Chris laced his large hand around her hand and pulled her to her feet. London let out a noise of surprise, but before she could protest Chris had pulled her outside and to her father’s truck.

“Wait! What are we doing?” London exclaimed as Chris beamed at her, still holding her hand and leading her to the passenger side of the truck.

“You just gave me the best idea.” He said, wiggling his eyebrows at her as he opened the door for her. London, still startled by the suddenness of all of this, slowly got into the truck. Once she was seated and had her seat belt on, Chris closed the truck door like a gentleman.

But that wasn’t what had made her face suddenly turn a fiery red now that she was sitting still. Oh no, her face was that color because she had just realized that Chris had held her hand…all the way out of the house. It was…nice – embarrassing, but nice. His hand had been warm and honestly because of that warmth she hadn’t even noticed the sudden coldness when the stepped outside.

Chris ran around the front of the truck and hopped into the driver side like nothing had happened. Which was disappointing, but London tried to get her heart to calm down as she reminded herself yet again, that friendship was the goal here.

Starting the truck, Chris buckled his seatbelt and grinned like a little boy at London. London ended up staring at him without meaning to.

“Ready?”

“Uh, yeah…?” London answered hesitantly, her voice sounding soft and almost timid.

Chris snickered at her and leaned in close, so close in fact that London leaned away from him slightly. The smell of his shampoo seemed to fill her senses and her stomach tightened a little. When he brought his hand up close to her face, she couldn’t stop her eyes from squeezing shut. Her heart was pounding so fast that she could hear it in her ears. What was he doing?!

A second later, Chris’s laughter bubbled up and London carefully opened her eyes. It took her a moment to see that he was holding a small gold leaf in his fingers.

“U-Uh,” London said as she looked past the leaf to Chris’s amused face.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just noticed you had a leaf in your hair.”

“Oh,” London murmured as he placed the small leaf in her palm before turning on the truck and backing out of the driveway. London tried to hide how red her face was. Good lord, did she really think he was going to kiss her? Ugh! But the way he leaned in, it looked like he was going to cup her face and kiss her.

London wasn’t so worried about where they were going anymore. Now she was worried about how ridiculous she’d been acting.

“So embarrassing…” She whispered to herself as Chris drove.


	11. Warm Food, Hot Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> __
> 
> _The way to a woman’s heart is not through monetary belongings; but through loving comfort food._

* * *

“Uh,” London said as she looked at the massive display of paint chips in front of her. It was a wall of color, fading beautifully from one bright vivid color to the next. It was amazing, but what was truly baffling was that there were so many different shades of one color. Even white had its own collection of varying degrees. Who knew that white was also ‘Eggshell’, ‘Snowbound’, and ‘Marshmallow’?

“Okay, pick a color.” Chris said from beside her. London raised her brows as she turned to look up at him.

“Like, just pick a random color?” 

“Yeah,” Chris nodded, giving her a soft smile of encouragement.

“But they’re so many colors. I mean, what if I pick something you hate?” London bit her lip slightly and Chris just smiled bigger. 

“Well, if I hate it that bad, you can help me repaint it. Besides, you said this would be the best time to paint since I have no furniture. It’ll make a nice little project after work and you’ve never painted a wall before. This way you can paint my walls and see if you want to paint your own.”

London stared at him with big eyes. He did make a good argument, but this seemed a little…

“So pick a color.” He prompted again as he motioned towards the massive wall of color chips in front of them. London’s brow furrowed as she bit her lip again and turned her attention back to the vibrant colors. This was a huge decision…

* * *

Chris saw how hesitant London was about helping him paint. But honestly her idea was just the thing he needed in order to spend more time with her. He’d been thinking about it since he decided to make her breakfast when he was in the shower.

It was tricky when he thought about it. She was at her place pretty much all day and he was at work at her father’s shop. While he figured that would make it easier to see her, Chris knew that it wouldn’t be enough. She probably also wouldn’t be able to relax knowing her dad and brother were within sight and ear shot. So this was perfect. Just the two of them painting, laughing, talking… Maybe he’d be able to sneak in a kiss one night…

 _Slow down…_ Man, he really was getting a head of himself. Slow and steady would be the ticket, he couldn’t jump the gun with something as poorly planned as a sneak attack kiss. Though when he went to get that leaf out of her hair when they were in the truck earlier; she closed her eyes like she was expecting him to kiss her…

Well, it had been almost impossible for him to resist those smooth, full lips. Not to mention when he drew close to her she smelled like some kind of citrus shampoo that tickled his nose and made his heart beat a little harder. It took a lot of effort on his part to play it off with that leaf, but when he saw the hint of disappointment in her eyes he couldn’t stop the winning feeling in his chest.

She _liked_ him…

He’d only guessed at it before, but now he was positive that she was into him. Chris had a hunch though that ‘liking’ him wasn’t going to be enough. He was really going to have to get her to fall in love with him. Chris was already there, every moment so far had just made the feeling more intense.

 _Slow and steady,_ he reminded himself as he prompted her to pick a color. Her green eyes looked so bewildered, and that lip biting?! Ugh, the cute, sexiness of that was driving him a little crazy. He had to take an internal deep breath to calm down and focus.

Chris helped London pick out various chips, each asking the other what they thought. This quickly moved from which color looked better; to making fun of the names. Chris made faces and joked with her and London’s laugh filled the small space between them. Her shyness mixed with that soft laughter felt like a drug. He loved hearing it and when he finally got her to laugh too loud, his heart sang with victory.

Her face flushed red in a brilliant wash of color that went all the way to her ears. London hid her mouth with her hands, trying to keep her laughter down but still failing.

“Chris!” Exasperated, London finally said his name flavored with her laughter. 

“What?” He asked, looking completely innocent. A ploy that had her roll those green eyes and give him that big, bright beautiful smile again.

“You are so weird.”

She’d said the same thing before, a couple of times now. Her voice always seemed to waver slightly when she said it and Chris had a feeling that she really didn’t know how to handle hanging out with him. From what he had seen, she probably hadn’t had dated that much. Which didn’t bother him; her inexperience just seemed to tease him more. He loved that…

 _Okay, seriously it hadn’t been THAT long since I’ve been with someone_. Chris thought to himself as they finally settled on a color and paid for the paint. It would be a couple of hours before it was ready, so Chris decided that it was a good time for lunch. His dad actually told him once that how he managed to marry his mom was by cooking for her.

“If you ever meet a woman you want to marry, feed her! That’s the way to a woman’s heart, through her stomach.”

Chris smiled to himself as they left the hardware store and walked back to the truck. She was walking closer to him now than when they had first walked in. They were walking side by side now.

“So, how about lunch?” He casually asked as he looked over at her.

“Hm?” London hummed thoughtfully as she looked at him, “Yeah, I guess it is about that time. I am getting kind of hungry.”

“Me too. How about The Dancing Panda?” Chris suggested as he unlocked the truck and they both climbed in.

“That sounds good!” London beamed, as she pulled her seat belt on and Chris grinned as he put on his own.

“They have a really great lunch special there. The egg rolls are amazing!” She seemed practically giddy and Chris couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on her face just a touch longer before starting the truck and backing out.

_Man, she really is cute…_

* * *

Sunday passed both too quickly and too slowly for London. Chris had made her breakfast, let her pick out paint for his duplex (a pretty shade of grayish blue), taken her to lunch and had made her laugh harder than she’d ever laughed before in her entire life. Her sides actually hurt, which was saying something.

Somewhere between eating lunch and picking up the paint from the hardware store, London was feeling comfortable around him. She was proud of herself for finally moving past his overall attractiveness, for the most part away, and was able to just laugh and be a friend. A new experience for her, she had never had a ‘guy’ friend before. She was truly thankful that Chris didn’t seem to bat an eye at her stupid behavior from before.

It was weird to feel so comfortable around him in such a short time, but she really did. He was easy to talk to and never made her feel like she was the weird one; which was probably why she kept saying he was weird. Guys just didn’t act like that with her, ever.

Now that they were back at the duplex, they started prepping to paint. Chris had purchased all the supplies they needed to do the job and London got her first hands on experience with how to lay down a drop cloth and how to tape of the trim. Once they were ready to paint, London rolled up the sleeves of her sweater and with a roller in her hand, began to pain on one end of the wall while Chris started at the other end. Hours passed with them painting, laughing and talking. London was surprised when she looked out the front window to see that the sun had already set and it was already dark outside.

“Wow, I can’t believe it’s already that late.” London murmured as she set the roller down that she had been using.

Chris had disappeared into the bathroom after accidently dropping the roller on himself. It wasn’t just that the roller had dropped on him either, but it had somehow managed to land in the paint pan and splash him as well. They had both laughed and Chris had gone to shower since they were pretty much done for the day anyway.

London had just to finish up the one spot she had been working on when she had looked outside and seen how late it had gotten. The sound of running water was faint and seemed to add something to the atmosphere as she stared out the window. The duplex didn’t have a fence in the front, so it was easy to see across the street and the trees that lined the sidewalk. Even though the view wasn’t that spectacular from here, it was still pretty with the lights that shown through the leaves.

The sound of the water turning off barely registered in London’s ears as she continued to look out the window. She had had such a great day; probably one of the best days that she had in a long time when she thought about it. This new friendship was definitely a good thing.

“Hey,” Chris said from somewhere behind her. She had heard him walk out from the back bedroom, but hadn’t turned to look at him. Her gaze was still transfixed on this one spot where the porch light across the street seemed to make the leaves look more gold than usual.

“Hey,” She said after a moment, turning around to face him, “how was your–?”

London stopped moving the moment she turned because what she saw made her eyes go wide and her mouth suddenly go dry.

Chris stood in a pair of basketball shorts with a towel in one hand as he dried his reddish brown hair…and that was all he was wearing. He wasn’t even looking directly at her, he was turned faced towards the wall they had started on so his side profile was all she could see.

She knew Chris was a tall man, even a bigger guy, but she didn’t expect to see how defined his arm muscles were, or how sculpted his lower abdomen was. Basketball shorts be damned, they really didn’t leave much to the imagination. It didn’t help that his hair was still dripping as he dried it, causing the droplets to race over his well toned muscles.

“Looks pretty good,” Chris said as he finally turned and smiled at her. He’d stopped drying his hair and had draped it just over his right shoulder.

London swallowed hard as she nodded her head, “Y-yeah…” _You could say that again._

Chris tilted his head slightly as he looked at her and a mischievous smile spread across his face.

“You okay? You look a little red.” He teased and London felt her face grow even hotter. She’d been trying to ignore it but it wasn’t working. Tearing her eyes away from Chris she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to calm her heart down. It felt like it was inside her brain it was beating so loudly.

“I-I’m fine! Really!” Her voice was too high and too nervous, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She would have told him to put a shirt on, but it wasn’t her house. And a part of her, a large part of her wanted him to never wear shirts again.

Chris laughed and grinned, “Sorry, I’m making you nervous again. I can go put a shirt on–.”

“N-no, no that’s okay. I think…I-I’m just going to go. It’s late.” London shook her head and forced herself to give him a quick smile as she hastily made her way to the door. Chris moved to follow her, or maybe stop her. She suddenly felt like she needed to run.

So much for trying for friendship, _now_ she was acting weird and the smell of his shampoo was making her stomach tighten.

“London, wait –.” Chris said as he tried to get to the door first, but she was closer and spurred by her embarrassment seemed to gain super speed as she opened the door and ran outside. The air was freezing but she barely noticed since she felt so hot.

“I just remembered, I-I have to feed Butthead!” She called back to him before disappearing in front of the garage and sprinting to her side of the duplex. She had her keys out and ready by the time she made it to her door. Within moments she was inside her place with the door locked and panting like she’d been running for her life.

It took a while for London to realize she basically ran away from him.

For no reason…

Groaning, London rubbed her hands over her face. What was wrong with her? Could she not even be friends with a guy? Could she not keep her hormones in check at the sight of a man’s half naked form?

“Great. Just great.” She muttered.


	12. The Friend Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is it naked or homeless?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to you all! I love the comments (they keep me going) and thank you guys so much for continuing to read and leaving kudos. You guys kick ass!

* * *

“So, how’s my sister?” James asked, nonchalantly while Chris was wedged under a sedan that needed an oil change and the belts replaced. Chris had been expecting James to question him about his sister, it was clear he was trying to be the protective brother. He had wanted to be able to say that she was fine and that they were getting along. But the truth of the matter has he had no idea.

Chris had tried to go see her that night to try and talk to her, apologize and smooth things over. Instead, he found himself pausing at her front door with his hand raised to knock and frozen in place as an idea struck him. Maybe she was feeling pressured? He had to admit that he wasn’t coming on as strong as he would have, but maybe his slow approach was still too fast. Or maybe she wasn’t into him as much as he was into her? Both thoughts made him feel a bit bummed out.

“Dunno,” Chris said as he lined the drip pan under the car, slowly unscrewing the oil filter.

“Oh? I thought you two would be all over each other by now.” James’s voice was filled with humor and the sound of a bag of chips opening echoed in the shop. John had gone to help a stranded car outside of town, so that left James and Chris to keep working. Or more accurately, left James to munch on random junk food while Chris continued to work. James was a good mechanic from what he’d seen, but when John wasn’t there it seemed that he took a more laid-back approach.

“Nope,” Chris responded shortly as the oil filter finally let go and the black liquid began to pour into the drip pan. Setting the old filter in the pan, Chris rolled out from under the car and stood. He was already covered in dirt, grease, and grime. It had been a rough morning so far.

James raised a brow as he leaned up against the large roller tool box, a small bag of Doritos in hand. He wasn’t as dirty as Chris, but still had a couple of oil stains on his yellow beard and coveralls. Chris leaned over the engine, working his hands into the front of it to get the first belt off. He’d already loosened the tension before he removed the oil filter. If he timed it just right, everything would be finished at the same time and he could move on to the next car.

Chris felt James watching him as he munched on his chips. It was the only other sound in the shop, other than Chris fiddling with the last belt on the car. A moment later, James spoke up.

“So, do I need to kick your ass or give you a pep talk?” James asked around his mouthful of chips.

Chris gave him a half smile, “Well, do you think I need my ass kicked?”

James grinned at him as he tossed the empty bag of chips into the nearby trash can and adjusted the bandana around his head that was keeping the sweat and hair out of his eyes.

“I guess that depends on the situation.”

Chuckling, Chris tossed the belts in the trash can as well. Looking at James he shrugged, “I guess the situation is that I make her too nervous.”

 _Which is definitely true_ , Chris thought to himself as James nodded like he knew exactly what he was saying.

“She’s always been like that. She doesn’t like crowds, isn’t really sociable, more of an introvert and a big book nerd. I think she’s only dated two or three guys. I’ve told her before that she’s too uptight.” James commented as he handed the replacement belts to Chris, who promptly went to install them. From the trickling sound coming from under the car, all of the oil was just about done draining.

“I don’t think she’s uptight,” Chris said, mostly to himself. It seemed like James was trying to go for the pep talk, but also trying to discourage him from trying to date his sister.

James grew quiet as he continued to watch Chris. A few silent minutes passed as Chris tightened the new belts and slid back under the car to replace the oil filter. It wasn’t until he was back under the car that James spoke again.

“Maybe she’s not. But I’ll tell you something,” James said as Chris slid out from under the car and went to stand up. James held out his large bear-like hand and helped him up. Chris nodded in thanks as he was about to let go of his hand, but James held him there firmly. They looked at each other as James let a smile spread across his face.

“If you make her cry, I _will_ kick your ass.”

Chris couldn’t stop the smirk that tugged on his mouth, “I don’t want to make her cry. I want to date her.”

James blinked for a moment before snickering and let Chris’s hand go, slapping him hard on the shoulder just like his father.

“Good luck with that.”

“Thanks?” Chris chuckled, shaking his head. He didn’t want to jump in and tell James he planned on marrying London. Not because he thought James would ‘kick his ass’, he just didn’t want James to spring it on her and scare her away.

Seriously, she’d already run away from him once…

* * *

“Stupid, stupid, stupid…” London half chanted, half mumbled to herself. She’d acted like an idiot and had been agonizing over her reaction at Chris’s place; she was sure he wouldn’t talk to her. A thought that made her both sad and a bit depressed, their newly formed friendship was something that she found she had been craving on a subconscious level. She didn’t really have a lot of friends growing up and probably even less than she had now. London for the most part, only hung out with her family so this new found companionship was exciting.

Chris wasn’t family, he was her neighbor. And it was kind of messed up that she found him so attractive. You weren’t supposed to find your neighbor sexy. Or at least, that’s what she told herself since she’d never had a neighbor she had wanted to…

Well…

You know…

London felt her face grow warm as she stood in her kitchen with a cup of hot tea in front of her.

“Ugh! Stop it!”

Butthead meowed loudly as he jumped on the counter and sat down, his eyes focused on her. His tail flicked back and forth, purring loudly at her. London let out a puff of air as she rubbed her cheeks with her hands.

“I need to apologize.” She said to the large black tabby. Butthead meowed again and flicked his tail harder.

“Yeah, okay. That won’t be enough, you’re right.” Sighing, London picked up her cup of tea and took a sip of the orange spice. It warmed her throat and tickled her tongue as she swallowed. It was delicious and the warmth seemed to ease the tension in her shoulders.

“Okay, so an apology isn’t going to be enough. I need something…tasty.” She hesitated as an idea came to her and she smiled.

“Perfect,” London declared to Butthead as she reached over and scratched his ears. “We say sorry and thank you. After all, he did cook for me and take me to lunch.”

London’s voice was a mix of nervous excitement as she thought back to yesterday. She never did get a chance to say thank you. It was the perfect excuse and then she could properly apologize _and_ maybe explain the whole mess so Chris would understand…and hopefully still be her friend.

“Okay Butthead, let’s do this.”

Butthead laid down on the counter and rolled on to his back, paws curled close to his chest as he watched London start to pull out baking pans and ingredients upside down.

* * *

The day had been long and ended just ten minutes past seven. The sun had already set and the air temperature had dropped considerably. John and James had offered to drop him off at his place, but Chris had declined. It wasn’t that far of a walk and he wanted some more time to think.

John didn’t seem to notice the look that James gave Chris as he climbed into the truck. He had a feeling that James was a good guy but definitely hadn’t made up his mind regarding Chris dating his sister. At least his boss, John, didn’t seem wise to him yet.

 _Oh well,_ Chris thought to himself as he walked. He wasn’t going to change his mind regardless if James approved or not. This feeling in his chest was a solid thing. He would have called it ‘destiny’ but he didn’t want to jinx himself.

Chris had taken off his overalls and left them at the shop on a hook. His leather jacket kept him warm in the freezing air. His t-shirt and jeans were soaked in some areas with oil, grease and varying degrees of dirt that had somehow worked its way through his overalls. He was in desperate need of a shower before he went next door to talk to London. Somewhere between scrubbing as much of the grit off his hands and slipping on his jacket, he’d decided that if he didn’t see her soon she’d probably avoid him. A thought that made his chest tighten.

As he made his way the short distance to his duplex, he noticed that London’s outside light was on. He felt slightly disappointed as this seemed to be a clear sign she wasn’t home and was going to come back later. However, he reminded himself he needed to shower anyway. Not to mention it was a good reminder to turn his own outside light on when he left in the morning because now he was going to have a hard time seeing where the keyhole was.

Passing by London’s side, Chris made his way in front of the side by side garages and turned the corner of the small cement path to his front door. The moment he approached the front step he stopped as London looked up at him from where she was sitting, flashlight in her hands to illuminate the walkway.

“London?” Oh shit, he wasn’t expecting her to be on his doorstep. Though, to be honest, that tight feeling in his chest seemed to loosen a bit when she smiled at him.

“Hi,” London said softly as she stood. The air was downright frigid with the threat of snow coming and there she was wearing a pair of pajama pants and a baggy blue t-shirt. She wasn’t even wearing a sweater like yesterday. He was feeling relieved to see her, but suddenly that didn’t seem to be the most important thing.

“Hey, it’s cold –.” Chris frowned as he looked at her. Without even continuing his sentence, he shrugged off his jacket and slipped it over her shoulders. London blinked her green eyes at him in surprise before smiling.

“Thank you. I’m really okay. I just got here a few minutes before you showed up.”

Chris gave her a nod as he smiled back at her. Her hair was tied up into two little buns on top of her head, making her look like she had ears. It was unbelievably cute and he soon found himself grinning despite himself.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t wait long. Did you want to come in?” He tried to no sound hopeful, but it was hard. He really wanted her to come inside so they could talk some more and hang out. When she nodded he had to hide his grinning face.

Stepping past London, Chris unlocked the door with the help of London’s flashlight. Once the door was open he flicked on the outside light and the entryway light at the same time. The sudden brightness made them both blink rapidly but it faded quickly.

“Sorry,” Chris apologized, chuckling slightly as he looked at London. That’s when he noticed she had something in her hands, a small paper box with little fish drawn in sharpie on it.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s a thank you present,” London’s voice was bashful, her face turning slightly red.

“Oh?” Raising his eyebrows, Chris took the small paper box from her as they stepped inside and he shut the door. London nodded as she subconsciously pulled his leather jacket more around herself.

 _She must have been cold._ He thought to himself as he slowly started to pull apart the paper box. It seemed to be expertly folded so the simple paper was strong enough to hold together.

“It’s a thank you for making me breakfast and taking me to lunch.”

Looking up from the small box in his hands, he looked at her slightly surprised but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she was looking at the floor, trying to avoid his gaze. Chris felt his heart pick up slightly as he smiled and finished opening the box. The moment it was open the delicious smell of chocolate chip cookies greeted him.

“Wow, they look great.” Chris beamed as he grabbed a cookie and immediately took a bite. The rich sweetness with just a hint of maple mixed with the chocolate chips, spread through his mouth. The cookie was perfectly chewy and he couldn’t help but close his eyes as he chewed.

When he opened his eyes, London was watching him with worried eyes. Unable to stop himself, he spoke around the mouthful of cookie.

“They’re delicious!” He took a few more chews before swallowing, “Seriously, that was the best cookie I’ve had, ever.”

London’s looked relieved as she smiled; the tension in her shoulders seemed to relax too. It was a little difficult to tell because she was still wrapped up in his leather jacket. He liked how she looked in it. She always seemed to wear baggy shirts and sweaters, but it suited her. Chris’s mind suddenly flashed an image of what she might look like without those baggy clothes…

Chris shook his head, trying to get rid of the visual as London slipped off his leather jacket and carried it in her arms. She didn’t see him thought as she walked passed him to take a look at their paint job.

“I also wanted to say I’m sorry,” London said quietly, not looking at him. Chris’s eyebrows rose as he watched her profile. She seemed to be struggling with something because that sexy lip biting was back.

Chris blinked as she turned to suddenly face him, new cookie still in hand. She’d been nibbling her bottom lip for so long he had eaten two cookies while he watched her.

 _Man, I’ve got serious issues if just nibbling her own bottom lip turns me on._ And make no mistake, he was getting turned on. More so now that she was looking at him with those deep green eyes.

“I wanted to apologize for running out of here yesterday. I, uh…” She hesitated for a moment before looking at him completely serious. “I didn’t mean to be weird. I’m just not used to being around…well, attractive guys.”

Chris couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. She was admitting that she found him attractive. This conversation was going quicker than he thought it would. However, just as he was about to open his mouth, whatever he was going to say died in his throat the next moment.

“I mean, it was wrong of me to do that. You’re new to the area and you’re not looking for a relationship. You’re here to start a new life and I want to be your friend. I want to be a good neighbor too. I promise I won’t act weird or anything anymore.” London smiled brightly, that beautiful smile that pulled at his chest and at the same time, her words seemed to hit him square in the gut.

He stared at her for so long she started to look concerned as she watched his face. She seriously thought…

But he…

 _Goddamnit_!

Quickly recovering from the sudden gut clench, Chris smiled softly and nodded. It didn’t reach his eyes, but he did his best to play it off. Taking the slow approach was apparently the wrong move. He should have actually pursued her, but he was afraid that he’d scare her away. This was worse than her running. London had ‘friend zoned’ him without even giving him a chance.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” Chris said automatically. He was kicking himself in the ass, and now that he thought about it, James’s ‘Good luck’ comment seemed like a foretelling.

_Good luck…_

Chris groaned internally as London beamed at him with his reassuring look.

“Do you want to keep painting?” London asked as she motioned to the still unfinished living room. Chris took a bite of the cookie he’d been holding in an attempt to regain some of his composure.

“Sure,” He agreed after swallowing the bite. “I’m already dirty.” He smiled and London laughed as she nodded.

“Yes, you are.”

She seemed happy and relieved. Chris, on the other hand, felt new determination grip hold of him and dim the shock of his new status as ‘friend’. She wanted to be friends, he could do that. He’d be the best damn friend in the world until she realized how she felt about him. Chris just knew she liked him more than what she was letting on. She had even said she found him attractive. If he was going to be ‘friend zoned’ so early on he was going to do his damnest to get her to say she loved him first.

Once she said it, he’d make sure she’d say it over and over again…

“Chris?” London prompted. Her voice spurred Chris into suddenly grinning at her.

“Sorry, long day. I spaced out there a little.” His voice was sheepish as he took another bite of his cookie to finish it. This was going to be a very long, hard road…

_I see a lot of very cold showers in my future._

The thought made Chris chuckle to himself. Maybe she could put that as one of her fortunes.

 


	13. Love Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A man in love without expression is a man tortured._

* * *

London was surprised at how fast time seemed to fly by with Chris. Before she knew it, two months had passed and now there was a heavy blanket of snow covering everything. Their friendship had grown in those two months, spending both Halloween and Thanksgiving with her family, Chris coming too of course. He seemed to fit in so well with her family and into her life that it surprised her that he hadn’t always been there.

She cooked for him some nights and other nights he’d cook for her. They’d laugh and hang out, watch movies and go shopping together. London even helped him find some good furniture for a good price and it wasn’t long before Chris’s place looked homey and lived in. The paint job they had done in the living room with all the white trim and doors made it so soothing.

She was really proud of herself for managing to get past the first few weeks of embarrassment and anxiety that came from being around him. Once London worked passed it, for the most part, she found that she could, in fact, be friends with a hot guy. She’d grown so comfortable with him that she’d fallen asleep on his couch right next to him without care or worry.

Chris had become the best friend that she always had wanted in school, but could never seem to manage. Even in college, there wasn’t one person she could have said she was able to feel that comfortable around or speak so freely with. She told Chris pretty much everything that she had never dared speak about with anyone.

How she felt that her brother sometimes was a jerk, though she loved him dearly. How she was positive her mother was trying to make her embarrassment worse in social situations. How she worried about her father, even though he was as healthy as a horse. How her dream of writing novels seemed like a cheap fantasy that didn’t mesh with the real world. She voiced her concerns, hopes, dreams…

Chris had really become impossible to replace, and she was pretty sure he felt the same way. There were these moments where she could catch him looking at her and he’d suddenly smile at her. London would have been lying if she said her heart didn’t race when he looked at her like that. Or sometimes they would be cuddling on the couch and she would become very aware of how strong his arms were or how good he smelled. There were several times where she had to slip away or take small, short breaths until her heart calmed down.

_He’s your friend, not your BOYfriend. Easy, calm down…God, he smells so good._

And he _did_ smell good. Something about the mix of his body shampoo and the smell of working in the shop all day seemed to make her stomach tighten. It was an especially strong feeling those nights she would meet him for a movie at his place. London always seemed to come over when he would just get home and somehow she would always linger just a touch longer when she gave him a hug hello. He never seemed to notice though, which was good. London would have died from embarrassment if he did.

But she wasn’t stupid. Guys like Chris didn’t date girls like her. London had accepted it and moved on as well as anyone could have hoped. It was also clear that Chris could have had any girl he wanted too. The few times that James came over to visit when his girlfriend was busy, he seemed to always make the point of talking about ‘the last time they went to a bar’ and how many ‘chicks hit on them’. London wasn’t jealous or anything and, it wasn’t like she could have done anything about it if she was there. But it still hurt to hear, a lot more than she wanted to admit.

Regardless, London couldn’t remember a time when she’d been happier. Christmas was right around the corner (her favorite holiday), and she couldn’t wait to spend it with Chris and her family.

* * *

Chris hated cold water.

He was on his fourth cold shower that week; which said in huge, invisible neon signs that his willpower was Superman strong - or maybe Terminator… He had taken so many cold showers over the last two months that his skin felt like it would never warm up. That idea turned out to be completely untrue because the moment London snuggled up next to him to watch a movie his body temperature rose considerably. Something that he both looked forward too and at the same time made him crazy. He did his best not to show it though. This taking it slow thing was agonizing in new ways that really tested his honor as a man and willpower. Especially when London fell asleep on his couch…

In his arms…

With her head resting on his chest…

Chris turned the water down even colder, the sudden surge of chill driving off the last of the visuals his mind had been cooking up. Finally, he turned off the cold water altogether and pulled back the shower curtain. Stepping out, he snagged the towel off the wall hook and secured it around his hips. He took a moment to rub his hands over his face before looking in the mirror.

London was coming over tonight to continue their Christmas movie marathon. Tonight they were watching a romantic comedy called The Holiday. He’d seen it before when he lived with his parents. His mom was really into romantic comedies so there were often times where he would watch them with her. Chris was ‘hoping’ that maybe the movie would give London the hint that he was into her. This unrequited love stuff was really starting to wear him down mentally.

Chris left the bathroom and went to his bedroom to change. He opted for a comfortable plain black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He would have just put on a pair of basketball shorts, but due to the recent sexual frustration, jeans were safer… Shaking his head, Chris finished getting dressed and ran his fingers through his hair to make it look somewhat presentable.

Christmas was only a week away and even though they hadn’t discussed it, he’d gotten London a present. The small box was wrapped in beautiful blue snowflake paper and a soft blue bow. Taking it out of his shirt drawer, he gazed at it. He’d seen the small book shaped pendant in the local jewelry store window, London’s face flashing in his mind. Chris purchased it purely on instinct, only later did he rethink his decision on if it was a good move or not. He still had a week to think it over.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Chris slipped the box back inside his dresser drawer and closed it.

“Okay, remember to breathe. Don’t get any crazy ideas. Remember, she’s gotta come to you.”

Repeating his mantra under his breath, Chris made his way to the front door. Upon opening it, the greeting that was on his lips seemed to get stuck as London smiled up at him. Her hair was twisted up off her neck, exposing its slenderness. Green eyes bright and happy as stood on his doorstep.

“Wow…” Chris breathed as he looked her over. She wasn’t wearing her normal baggy sweater or shirt, but a dark forest green dress that matched her eyes and hugged her body, and from what he could tell with the coat in the way – it hugged all the right places. Her coat was a deep blue, making the color contrasted beautifully against her skin. In one hand she held a pair of black heels and it took him a moment to realize she was wearing furred snow boots that went to her knees. They were well worn but didn’t look tacky with the dress.

Chris swallowed as he stood there dumbstruck as London smiled wider, “Don’t tell me you forgot?”

Clearly, she hadn’t heard him, however, it took him a moment to register that she was speaking to him.

“Forgot?” He blinked as London stepped in and looked him over for a moment. She seemed to like what she saw because she smiled wider and gave him a friendly poke on his upper bicep.

“We are supposed to be going to the movies tonight. They are showing the Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D!”

She was giddy, yet it was clear how she absently pulled on the end of her dress how she wasn’t used to dressing up. Chris smiled, the conversation they had had a few days ago coming back to his mind.

_That’s right, I forgot. So much for my grand plan of giving her a subtle hint with a movie…_

Straightening up a bit and looking like he didn’t just remember, Chris wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“So who are you seeing after the movie? Hot date tonight?” He teased, motioning to the dress. The mere thought of her getting dressed up to see someone else made his chest tighten. She hadn’t said anything about being interested in someone else. Chris cringed internally, there was no reason she’d dress up just for him…it had to be another guy.

London blinked at him and tilted her head, a small embarrassed smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as her cheeks flushed slightly.

“W-Well, I thought it would be nice to dress up and go to the movies…with you. I’ve never done that before…” London broke eye contact to look down at the floor in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment.

Chris felt his lungs suck in a quick breath as she said those words. Did she dress up for him? Like a legit date?

Watching as she fidgeted under his gaze, Chris felt the sudden urge to kiss her. He took a whole step forward before he managed to stop himself. His hand came up to cup her face and taste those full, sweet lips. However, before he could touch her the movement had brought London’s gaze back to him. Freezing, Chris tried to bury whatever emotion had shown on his face. Trying to play off like he hadn’t attempted to kiss her, Chris grinned at her and shrugged casually.

“So I’m a test date?” He snickered as she gave him a mock offended look. _Jesus, this is killing me…_

“Well, no,” London hesitated for a moment, biting her bottom lip slightly. She looked like she wanted to say something but instead, she didn’t. The silence grew awkward and Chris had to shove down the butterflies in his stomach. He just knew that she liked him, it was becoming very obvious even if she didn’t realize it herself.

“Don’t worry, I’m just teasing you,” Chris gave her a smile and walked away from her to sit on the couch and put his boots on. London came in the rest of the way and shut the door, cutting off the cold that had been drifting in. Funnily enough, Chris didn’t even notice. His skin felt like it was already on fire, the pound of his heart way too loud in his ears. He’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t hyper-aware of her watching him.

Within moments, his boots were on and he slipped on his leather jacket that was resting on the back of a kitchen chair. He smiled at her as he motioned to the heels in her hand.

“You don’t have to worry about heels if it’s just me.” Honestly, he didn’t care what she wore, though he had to admit from what he could see of the dress he wanted to see even more of it.

“Oh, well I thought my furred boots looked too weird with it.” London looked down at her knee-high furred snow boots. The laces were snug and though it seemed like an odd match at first, Chris grinned. The look suited her just fine.

“I like the boots.” He said a little deeper than he intended to and London blinked up at him, her face flushing slightly.

“O-Oh, okay. I’ll…just leave them here?” London set them down next to the front door and Chris nodded as he held out his arm to her.

“Sure, shall we go m’ lady?” He gave her a goofy grin and London laughed, that sweet sound making his heart pick up again.

“Weirdo.” She teased as she slipped her arm in his.

Chris grinned as he opened the door and they stepped out. He was acting as normal as possible, but it was growing increasingly more difficult to keep up the charade. Maybe with the atmosphere of a dark theater, maybe he could…

* * *

The Stillwater Theater was a small, old and a little run down. However, it had that classic old-time charm to it when movie theaters were the place to be and people didn’t care how much a bucket of popcorn cost. The local teenagers still worked behind the counter and the movie players were the latest models, thanks to fundraisers during the summer months and local donations. The best part was that the tickets were only four dollars.

“Weren’t they playing this during Halloween too?” Chris asked as he paid for their tickets. London had opened her mouth to protest at first, but when he gave her a sexy look of ‘I got this’ she couldn’t help but swallow.

“Yeah, but we missed the showing because of the Halloween party mom threw.” She answered as normally as possible.

She wasn’t sure if it was just because she was in a good mood or because she was dressed up, but something seemed different tonight between them. The look he had given her when she told him she had dressed up because she wanted to for him; that mixture of emotion that had been on his face made her heart pound. Chris had brought his hand up to her cheek and the look in his eyes was enough to make her want to close that distance.

All rational thought had gone out the window, only to be slammed back to reality a moment later when he smiled that teasing smile at her and walked away from her to put on his boots. She had stared at the back of his broad shoulders, not knowing what had come over her. Chris was her best friend…

But that _look_ …that was not the look you gave to your best friend…

Chris had somehow managed to keep the situation from becoming completely awkward, though London still felt like her heart was trying to beat out of her chest. He held her hand when they walked through the snowy parking lot to the theater and continued to hold her hand after he had paid for tickets, drinks, and popcorn. His large hand was so strong and safe feeling that London couldn’t help become hyper-aware of his movements, even after they reached their seats.

Chris finally let go of her hand and suddenly missed the warmth of it. Taking off his jacket he laid it over the back of the seat next to him and took hers when she slipped it off. It was warm in the theater or maybe it was because she felt nervous for the first time in a while around Chris. Once her neck and bare shoulders were exposed, she was sure that Chris’s gaze lingered a little too long before they sat down. There was an armrest between them, which was good as her mind was trying to calm down her racing heart.

It wasn’t like they hadn’t held hands before. They had cuddled on the couch so many times to watch movies as well that she couldn’t believe that those two months of being friends could suddenly shift and remind her how attractive he was…

London took a quick drink of her soda, her mouth dry as the desert. This was bad…

The theater was empty for the most part, there was only one other couple and they were sitting well up front away from them. Stealing a quick glance at Chris, London studied his profile. He didn’t seem like he was hiding anything, but that look he’d given her earlier was unmistakable. Could he… _like her?_

Chris noticed that London was looking at him and turned, smiling a charming smile at her.

“What’s up?”

London blinked, her voice wanting to ask so many questions that came to mind. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t get the words out. Instead, she forced a smile and shrugged as naturally as possible.

“Nothing, I’m just really excited. I love this movie.”

Chris gave her a gentle smile and London felt her stomach tense, there was that look again. Those kind hazel eyes that were filled with humor seemed to say so much more now and London had to look away from their intensity just as the opening music started to play.

 


	14. First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Never close your lips to the one who has opened your heart._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for sticking with me on this story! This chapter is dedicated to you guys! ^_^

* * *

London’s brain kept getting distracted by the idea of Chris liking her that she missed over half the movie. Even the 3D aspect was lost on her as she kept trying to steal glances at Chris with her 3D glasses on. The movie that she’d been excited for didn’t seem that exciting now that her mind was purely focused on Chris.

How could this have happened? She was trying so hard to just be his friend, thinking that is what he wanted. Telling herself she was acting ridiculous every time that she got that weird feeling in her stomach. Or when her face betrayed her and flushed just from that teasing smile of his.

_But maybe…he doesn’t want me…as a friend?_

**_OH GOD!_ **

The sudden thoughts and images that flashed in her mind had London’s face practically on fire. She’d never been so thankful for the dark theater as she quickly looked away from Chris; which didn’t help in the slightest, because the only other couple sitting in the front of the theater were making out like their lives depended on it.

London took a few hasty sips of her soda to try and distract herself from her embarrassment. The movie was only minutes away from ending and all she could think about was how this epiphany was completely, without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing her brain could have come up with.

_Nope, there’s no way. I mean it doesn’t even make any sense!_

“London?”

London jumped as Chris murmured her name next to her ear, which was followed by his soft laughter.

“Did I scare you?” Taking off his 3D glasses, the lights in the theater slowly started to come back on and London swallowed, doing the same with her own.

“N-no. I just…was really into the movie.” Forcing a smile, London stood and took a few moments to straighten out her dress with her back to Chris. What she was really doing though was trying to get her face to look more normal. She could still feel the heat in her cheeks and she felt too hot all over. When did the theater become so warm?!

“Hey…” Chris said from behind her. Once London felt more confident that her face wasn’t so embarrassed, she turned to see him standing. Looking up at him, she realized how close he was to her, too close in fact. Why was he so close?!

“Hey, don’t tease me.” She was trying to sound casual as she said it, remembering how he had done the same thing in her bedroom at her parent’s house. However, her voice came out too soft and nervous. What was wrong with her?! This was just crazy, she was reading _way_ too much into this. This wasn’t real; she was only seeing what she wanted to see.

And just like that, she realized that over the last two months of getting to know him, she’d been lying to herself. She didn’t want to be just his friend or his neighbor. She wanted to be _more_ , even though she only understood part of what that meant. London was…

“I’m not teasing.” He said seriously, closing the small distance some more. London tensed, feeling like there were lead blocks attached to her feet. Her heart was pounding so hard that any moment she felt it would simply stop. It took a considerable amount of effort to look up at him and meet his eyes. That look was back again, so intense and filled with a heat that she didn’t know what to do with herself. For some reason, her body felt like it was trembling.

“London…” His voice said her name again and London couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. It held such emotion that her brain reeled trying to find the meaning, trying desperately to come to grips with what was happening. London grew wide-eyed as she stared at him.

“C-Chris…?” Her voice was barely a whisper as his hand came up and gently traced a line down her cheek and neck; drawing a delicate line to the edge of her collarbone.

That simple touch made the barest of moans escape her lips as he drew near. Her skin felt too hot, or maybe too cold. It was hard to tell, but it tingled where his fingertips touched and when he leaned in, bringing his other hand up to cup her face, she thought she’d die right there.

Chris drew near, causing her to close her eyes by reflex and a moment later his lips touched hers gently. London had kissed before, not a lot, but a few different times with guys she had liked or dated very briefly. But this kiss, as gentle and sweet as it was, made those other kisses not even hold a candle in comparison.

Feeling her body tremble more, London wasn’t sure what she should do with her hands. She wanted to touch him but was afraid too. Like if she did, this magic spell would be over and she’d wake up in bed…alone…

Chris’s hand on her left cheek slipped down her exposed shoulder and then glided down farther to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her closer to him. Startled by the movement, a spark of excitement gripped her as London let out another moan. Her body pressed against his firmly, held in place by his strong arm. The kiss grew in intensity, but when he nibbled her trembling bottom lip she opened her mouth in surprise to ask him what he was doing. However, her startled expression didn’t stop him and instead he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Slowly and sensually, his tongue teased hers and London tensed, not sure what to do. What should she do?! What could she do?! She’d never been kissed like this before. She’d seen her brother French kiss girls before…but she couldn’t have imagined…how wonderful it felt.

The tenseness in her body eased out as her mind began to stop thinking and become lost in the sensation. Her hands moved of their own will and gripped his t-shirt close to his hips. Her movement seemed to stir something in him because his arm around her waist hugged her closer to him. London was completely overwhelmed as they kissed.

“Hey…!”

“James!”

Two familiar surprised voices jarred London from the deep kiss. Pulling back from Chris she looked over her shoulder to see James and his girlfriend, Jessica, staring at them. All the color drained from her face as she quickly pulled away from Chris, who had a disappointed look on his face.

“W-What are y-you doing here?” London asked as she nervously ran her hands over her dress to smooth out the wrinkles. How did her dress get so…? _God, I could just die right now…_

James’s face was hard as he glanced from her to Chris. The atmosphere was heavy and the haunting credit music wasn’t helping matters. Jessica nudged James in the side as she offered up an apologetic smile.

“Sorry Loni, we didn’t realize that you two were in the theater too.”

London stared at Jessica trying to figure out what she meant by that until her brain finally kicked in and she realized that the only other couple sitting in the front of the theater were wearing the same clothes as her brother and his girlfriend.

“Oh…” London murmured as the blood rushed back to her face. It was them who had been making out like it was the only thing keeping them alive.

“London,” James began, his voice was rough and London visibly cringed unable to say anything. She’d seen James make out plenty of times with his girlfriends in public, but she wasn’t like that. Being caught kissing in a movie theater (a deliciously sinful kiss she might add) with Chris…

“James,” Chris spoke as James looked at him. London wasn’t paying too much attention to their shared look; she needed to get out of here. Keeping her head down, she reached behind Chris and quickly grabbed her coat from where it was laying with Chris’s.

“Excuse me, please.” She murmured, hastily moving past her brother and Jessica. London couldn’t bring herself to look at anyone and as soon as she was clear of the pair, she took off briskly to the exit. Chris called out to her but she didn’t stop. How could she? She was embarrassed beyond belief and that kiss…

London shook her head to try and stop the recent memory from surfacing. It was no use, her lips still tingled from the kiss and she could still feel the fading heat of his body. Once she was out of the theater and back in the lobby she came to a halt. Chris was her ride home…

Staring out the front glass doors to the snow outside London bit her lip, an intense mix of emotions churning in her gut. It spurred her into motion once again, out the front doors and into the bitter, cold winter air.

* * *

Chris cringed as he watched London leave, he called out to her but she didn’t even pause when he said her name. Okay, so he had intended to wait for her to make the first move, so much for plan A. From the look on her face she looked confused, embarrassed and hurt. Cursing himself out as he grabbed his own jacket and yanked it on, James and his girlfriend, Jessica, stood there as he quickly zipped it up.

“Chris, I’m sorry. We didn’t mean –.” Jessica began as she looked at him sympathetically. James, on the other hand, looked like he’d just swallowed something nasty. Chris did his best not to glare at them but knew he was failing. What the fuck was James thinking? What the hell was with his attitude?! He knew that he wanted to date his sister for months now. Why had he acted like the big protective brother now?! Unable to keep his emotions in check, he cursed loudly as he ran after her.

The last few moments raced through his mind as he sprinted out to the lobby. A quick glance told him that she wasn’t there and immediately ran for the front door. He slid slightly in the snow as he quickly looked around, but didn’t see her anywhere.

“Shit, shit, shit…” He cursed again as he made a dash for the truck that John had loaned him for the winter. He dug for his keys and turned the ignition as fast as he could, carefully backing out as he was painfully aware of how slippery it was.

As he threw it in drive and began to look for London, his mind began to dwell on what just happened between them in the theater. He wasn’t able to stop himself from kissing her; that look on her face, so shy and nervous. It was like she knew that he liked her. Her seeming to know part of the truth had made his heart pound and before he knew it, she was in his arms.

If he were honest with himself, he’d wanted to kiss her for so long and imagined it so many times, that at first, it didn’t feel real. Her lips were soft, full and sweet. That throaty moan that left her stirred his want and desire for her deep inside his chest, making it impossible to stop himself. He teased her bottom lip, nibbling where she’d bitten her lip so many times before and it had surprised her. With her mouth partly open he seized his moment to deepen the kiss. She had tensed for a moment, but after that moment she relaxed into him.

It was by far the most mind-blowing kiss he’d ever had…

And with her body pressed up against him, his body took over and his mind shut down. London fit perfectly against him as if she was made just for him and he could feel the ache in his hands from wanting to touch her again.

“Come on London, where are you?” He wasn’t worried before, but as he drove it had started to snow in big fluffy flakes. How she had managed to escape so quickly was beyond him. He should have been able to catch up with her rather quickly…

A thought suddenly occurred to him and he slowly stopped in the middle of the road. It was weird that he hadn’t caught up to her, he should have. He hadn’t seen her in the lobby so he naturally assumed she’d gone outside, but what if she hadn’t?

Letting his gut feeling drive him, Chris flipped a U and drove back to the theater. It wasn’t long before he was back outside and parked again. He didn’t run this time but made his way slowly back to the front door of the theater. The snow was still falling in big huge puffs, rapidly covering the icy ground. He didn’t see any recent boot prints that were small enough to be her boots, but he hadn’t expected too. Instead, Chris entered and theater lobby, stopping the moment he spotted London.

She looked confused, hurt; her eyes red like she’d been crying. Chris gave a quick glance around the lobby, no one had seemed to notice her sitting on the small bench just outside of the restrooms.

Making his way over too her, he felt his heart give a hard pound as she looked up at him. Her green eyes were definitely red from crying, damn he was an asshole. In a pitiful attempt to get her to smile, he ran his hand through his hair as he gave her a half smile of apology.

“So, where’s your date?” He teased, but she didn’t immediately react. London simply stared at him, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Hey, I uh…” Flustered by her blank reaction he stuffed his hands in his jacket. “Well, I never said I wasn’t an asshole…”

She laughed then, not the musical laugh he was used to, but it was still a laugh. The sound eased the tenseness out of his shoulders if only a little. Distantly the music from the movie playing filled the lobby, quietly filling the silence. After a moment, London stood and gave him a soft smile.

“Shall we go?”

London didn’t seem as hurt now, but it still ghosted her eyes. Chris nodded but didn’t reach out to hold her like he had before. He wanted to give her space so she could adjust to what happened. The shitty part was, he was worried that she’d either run away from him again or their newfound friendship would be kicked to the curb.

_Good going, Chris…_

As they stepped outside, the snow was still falling, but not as heavy as it had been. The flakes were smaller but the new snow was an impressive three inches already. They both walked slowly, careful to not slip on the ice blow as they made their way back to the truck. This was going to be an awkward ride...


	15. Pure As The Driven Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A long, hard, road is best traveled slowly._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Man, it took a long time to get this one done (so sorry!!!). Hopefully, I'll be getting back on my schedule with this soon! Thank you for all the comments and continuing to read! ^_^

London was an idiot.

Or maybe it was more apt to say, that she was an inexperienced woman with too much book smarts and not enough world knowledge. The ride back to the duplex was painfully slow, as the roads were slick and twice the truck had slipped sideways due to the black ice under the snow. It took far longer to get home than it had to get to the theater, which only made the depressing feeling in her stomach worse.

Chris hadn’t said anything once they got in and started driving. He was so quiet that she could have heard a pin drop in the warm cab. She had wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn’t seem to come out; mostly because she was afraid of where those words would take her.

If she told him she was in love with him, what would he do? If she told him that she was actually still a…virgin…at twenty-seven…would he still want her? If he did, what would that mean? Would they fall into bed together just like that? Is that what she wanted? She had to admit that she was scared for the first time about a guy she liked. London had never really given romantic relationships much thought before, but with Chris, it seemed that all those years of focusing on her studies and trying to be a writer…were painful now. That kiss had shown just how inexperienced she was and as much as it felt good, it hurt a little too. Who would want to be with someone like her?

London swallowed hard as she gazed out the passenger side window as her mind wandered over the last thirty minutes. She had walked out of the theater with every intention of walking home, but something in her chest made her stop before she got much farther than the side of the building. The distinct sound of the theater door banging open scared her into half dashing, half sliding around the corner to hide. For some reason she thought it was going to be James ready to yell at her, but when she peeked and saw Chris her heart stopped. He looked so…upset.

He was in the truck and gone before she could step out and call after him. Or maybe it was because she was afraid. No, that was definitely it. She _was_ afraid. She didn’t even know what to say to him if she did stop him. The moment the truck disappeared down the road, London felt the sting of tears as her heart sank. She was such a coward…

A second later, James and Jessica walked out of the theater and London quickly ducked back before she was seen. James never handled it well when she was crying.

“Why are you so upset?” Jessica asked, bewildered.

James huffed as he kept walking, creating a massive burst of mist in the cold air. Jessica’s arm was still in his so she wouldn’t slip as they walked. 

“She’s my sister.” He said flatly, causing Jessica to blink at him for a moment before laughing.

“That’s your answer, ‘she’s my sister’?! Sweetie, there’s got to be a better reason than that.”

London wasn’t able to hear what he said next because they were too far away. However, now she felt worse than she had before, making more tears stream down her freezing cheeks. The look on his face was so pissed off when he saw them kissing like she had somehow personally offended him by kissing Chris. But he had been making out with his girlfriend for the entire movie, she only had one kiss. She could even go so far as saying it was her first ‘real’ kiss…

She felt awful for running away after sharing such a kiss with him. She shouldn’t have let James scare her like that, even if he was pissed off. She should have stayed and…

_And…_

Well, she didn’t really know what she would have done, but she should have stayed, she knew that much.

Dragging herself back into the theater, London had sat down on the first bench she found and silently let the tears fall down her face. She felt horrible, all the previous excitement had left her and making her feel tired and drained. It took a while to stop the tears from falling…

London sighed softly as she gazed out the fogged up truck window, she had no idea what she was going to do when they got back to the duplex. She didn’t know if she should apologize or not, she didn’t want him to think she was ashamed of the kiss or that she regretted it. She didn’t, she was just…really scared for some reason. It wasn’t even full-fledged fear either; it was like a bizarre mix of nerves, excitement, and the unknown.

“Well, we’re here…” Chris spoke softly as he parked the truck in his driveway. London blinked, having not realized she had spaced out the entire slow ride back home.

“Oh…” Frowning, she looked down at her lap at her hands. _Great, now what?_

Chris seemed like he was at a loss for words as well as her and the two of them sat there in silence. She needed to say something, no matter how scared she was, she needed to at least apologize.

“Chris,” London took a deep breath, letting out the shaky feeling that seemed to be building up, “I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” He turned to look at her, his face surprised.

“I kind of panicked when James showed up out of nowhere. And I…uh…” London gave him a sheepish look, “I’ve never had anyone kiss me like that before…”

_There, that was honest._

She felt a little better now that she said that out loud but Chris’s face was growing red as London swallowed hard, offering an embarrassed smile. She wasn’t able to keep looking at him though as his eyes felt too intense and she was afraid she might see something there she didn’t want, like disappointment…

Chris’s soft chuckling brought her attention back to him. He rubbed his hands over his face quickly before turning to face her better. With one hand on the steering wheel, he smiled at her.

“I’ve never kissed anyone like that, you’re the first.” His face looked relieved and it occurred to London that he had been worried before. However, that thought was quickly pushed away once his words sunk into her brain.

“You mean…?” She began, her word stopping before she could finish. There was something about how he had said that she was the ‘first’ that had her heart racing. It was clear that he wasn’t a virgin, _obviously_ , but the way the relief was fading from his eyes and was replaced by that same heat she’d seen in the theater had her pulse hammering.

“So…” His voice dropping to become deeper. He glanced away from her for a moment as if he was thinking something but then his focus was right back on her. London could practically feel her skin prickling with the meaning of that one, simple word.

“Would you like to come in?”

There it was, that wordless look finally given voice and London felt a quivering in her abdomen. Go in? _Go in?!_ This was a huge step for her, normally she’d have no problem going over to his duplex. But that was before she really understood what her body and somewhere in her brain she already knew. They’d grown so close, laughed so much…and she loved him for it. And if they…well, you know…

What if their relationship changed? What if they couldn’t be friends after? What if she was terrible?!

Unable to hide her nervousness, London bit her lip and looked down at her hands. She should say no, right? For the sake of their friendship, right?

_Oh god…_

_I don’t know what to do!_

* * *

The nervous look on London’s face, with her cheeks, flushed and her breathing a little heavier than normal was killing him. He could actually feel his body just trying to grip on to the last little piece of willpower he had left.

And then the one thing that he knew would drive him over the edge happened…

She bit her lip.

He’d never been so thankful that John’s old truck was a single cab with a bench seat that allowed him to slide right up next to her. She was so delicate looking, her bright green eyes so wide as she locked her gaze with his. The small area where she had bit her lip was slightly redder than the rest of her soft lips and without hesitation, he kissed her again. Her mouth was already partly open in surprise by his sudden movement and the moment their mouths met she immediately let out a deep moan, his tongue teasing hers immediately.

Chris was done for. All that careful control had been getting chipped away over the last two months, until tonight when he kissed her in the theater. That’s when it finally broke, all those urges left unsatisfied, that want, that undeniable feeling in his chest that told him that she was the _one_. The one he’d been waiting for and never knew it. God, she felt so good.

Her hands trembled as they slid inside his unzipped coat to grip and rest his sides. She smelled like old books and tea, a mix he didn’t even know was intoxicating as he kissed her. His senses were completely overrun. His hands wandered up her smooth bare legs, earning him a throaty moan and her hands gripping his shirt. Chris grunted, his arousal drawing him away from her full, sweet lips to kiss her bare collarbone that had become exposed as her coat slipped down. Sucking on the delicate spot brought a gasp from her lips and he could feel her bottom jaw tremble.

“C…Chri—!” She tried to say his name, but that only seemed to drive him crazier. His fingers ghosted up her thighs and his name cut off the moment his fingertips touched the wet cloth of her panties. Gently rubbing the swollen mound brought a deeper moan from her sweet lips.

London buried her head into the nape of his neck. Her body was trembling as her hot breath tickled his skin. Chris had no intention of their first time being in a truck. He wanted to do it right, the way you were supposed to do things but he found that once he got started it was growing more difficult to stop. The stiff bulge in his pants was a firm reminder of how many nights he’d been burying this need to touch her.

It took more effort than he was willing to admit to pull his hands away from her. London’s face was flushed all the way from her cheeks, down her neck and disappearing somewhere beneath her dress.

Realizing he had stopped his pursuit, she brought her hands up to her face to try and hide. It was a cute gesture and yet, it didn’t distract from her beauty.

“I’m sorry, I—.” He began, but she cut him off by shaking her head and smiling nervously at him.

“N-No, it’s okay. I-I’m just not…used to this kind of thing.” London’s voice was nervous and seemed to grow quieter as she spoke. Something about the way she said it seemed to imply that…

“Uh…”

Chris couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. There they were, in her father’s borrowed truck, her body half under him, practically trembling with an unfulfilled need like himself and she was a…

“I-I’m a-a…v-virgin.” She stuttered. 

He was pretty sure he would never feel like a bigger piece of shit than in that moment. He was definitely, without a doubt, an asshole.


	16. Relationships Are Messy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Silence does not always have the answer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! I managed to post another chapter! HOOT!
> 
> Now, I know some of you are probably going, 'okay, you've built the tension, we get it. This is killing me!' And I do apologize for that. I used my previous experience for this chapter so if it seems like it's a bit unrealistic, these thoughts were exactly what I thought (for both Chris and London) during those times. 
> 
> But rest assured, this is all actually GOING somewhere and the big 'moment' isn't too far off. So thank you all again for sticking with me with this fic! As always, I appreciate every one of you and don't hesitate to leave a comment. I answer every one I get. ^_^

* * *

Her skin was burning and tingled all over; her arms, her legs, her neck. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears, complimented by her heavy breathing. Her brain had stopped working, overwhelmed by sensations she wasn’t familiar with, but felt so good. It was impossible to pinpoint where the sensations had started or where they ended as his hands trailed up and down her naked body. His hands were rough from hours of working on cars, yet they were so gentle they practically whispered how precious she was to him.

Lips trailed along her neck and down her chest, teasing a wet line with his tongue that had her arching her back. She moaned loudly, there was no helping it. Her body wasn’t her own anymore, and the more he explored her body the more intense everything seemed to get. 

London was completely, without a doubt…

“Say it…” His voice murmured next to her ear as his fingers teased between her legs. The sudden wave of pleasure and heat had her gasping as he nuzzled her neck.

“I…I-I…” God, she couldn’t even get the words out. She wanted to tell him, but her mouth just couldn’t seem to work right. The caress of his fingers rubbing against the thin cloth of her panties made her whither beneath him.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god…_

“I want to hear you say it…London…” His voice was heavy with want, but she could tell he was holding back. His muscles were tense and the heat of his breath proved how hard he was straining to hold himself together. He purposefully teased her with his body and lips to the point where she was sure she was going to go insane.

London found herself digging her nails into his shoulders and back. She wanted more, so much more and he wasn’t going to give her what she wanted until she found the strength to say what she knew in her heart…

He kissed her deeply then as his hand stopped teasing between her thighs and drifted slowly up her body in one long, sensual caress. Whimpering at the loss of pleasure, leaving a throbbing need in its wake, London shivered as his body lingered above hers. His broad chest of hard muscle lured her nervous fingers to their curves, caressing the long valleys gently. He shuddered above her and it made her body zing with confidence, knowing that she was turning him on. Somehow it made London feel bolder and she let her hands touch him more, gliding lower to his hips. Her thumb found a sensitive spot along his hip and he groaned when she rubbed it a little harder.

The sound of his need seemed to turn her on more and before she really thought about it, she let her other hand run down his back. London let her nails draw long lines, sending shivers and jolts through his body. When she got to his lower back he broke the kiss and looked into her eyes.

Those beautiful, hazel eyes…

It dawned on her that the man had been faceless, yet familiar. His hands reminding her of someone specifically but his name never seemed to reach the forefront of her brain. However, the moment those eyes looked at her she froze. Those eyes were just like…!

* * *

“Chris!"

London jolted awake and sat up in bed covered in sweat. Her heart was beating too hard, causing her to pant as her eyes darted around the room. Her blonde hair was soaked and stuck to the side of her face, causing a minor panic attack. Frantically trying to get it out of her eyes, she accidentally kicked Butthead with her foot, causing him to sprint off the bed. His tail became three sizes too big as he dashed towards the bedroom door, hissing. She was sure he glared at her over his shoulder before he disappeared in a black, furred fury.

“Oh, Butthead, I’m sorry!” She quickly called after him, feeling terrible. She hadn’t meant to startle him but she also hadn’t meant to have a wet dream about Chris either. It’s not like she could control it exactly either. She didn’t even know that women could _get_ wet dreams…

“Ugh!” London brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them close. Her heart was still pounding from the dream; the thrill and excitement still fresh in her memory. It had been a week since they had had their small make out session in the warm cab outside the duplex. The whole thing had abruptly ended once she explained that she was a virgin; which was a more awkward conversation than her mother’s sex talk when she was a teenager.

Flopping backward onto her bed, London was very aware that she was sweaty and in desperate need of a shower. Glancing at the clock, she sighed as she made herself get up and shuffle to the bathroom.  Today was Christmas Eve, which meant that her family would be getting together to laugh and have fun. Well, her family _and_ Chris. It was going to be the most awkward Christmas get together ever.

While the news of her virginity seemed to hit Chris like a ton of bricks (evident by his wide eyes and mouth hanging open), after the awkward moment in the car Chris hadn’t touched her again. No cuddling, no holding hands, no deep kisses, fondling, groping or ANYTHING. She was never a sexual person, to begin with, but the sudden start and stop; the messy, awkwardness that followed was driving her insane.

Turning on the shower, London peeled herself out of her damp t-shirt. Her skin felt sensitive and too warm, the throbbing that had been intense between her legs in her dream turned out to be present once she woke up and started moving. This was going to be the third cold shower since making out in the truck.

London groaned as she took a few quick breaths and quickly jumped into the chilly water. It almost hurt to stand there, but after a few minutes the cool water was a relief and the ache in her lower abdomen subsided. Letting out a deep breath, London began to wash her hair and body.

The sound of water allowed her mind to drift over the sudden void Chris had put between them. He kissed her, not once, but twice now. He liked her she was so sure of it; she felt like a moron for not having seen it sooner. But if he liked her, why did he stop that night? Why didn’t they keep going? He had invited her in before she announced her ‘virgin status.’ Why did he tell her to go home and that they would talk later?

“Ugh, just stop thinking about it. It’s not going to help anything.”

Her words sounded distant even in the small shower and London closed her eyes against the water sliding over her skin.

It wasn’t going to do any good freaking out about it now; she was going to be catching a ride with Chris to her parent’s house for the family dinner. They’d have the entire drive to talk, she’d just have to be patient until then. At least that is what she told herself, but that didn’t help. The growing nervousness in the pit of her stomach was practically screaming for information about what they were now.

Were they friends?

Almost lovers?

Just neighbors?

* * *

Chris was already waiting in the truck with the engine running when London stepped outside. It had snowed another four inches since last night, yet her front walkway was pristine all the way to the driveway. Surprised, London opened the truck door and climbed in.

“Hey, did you…?” She began and Chris gave her a soft smile. His eyes were gentle and the look made London’s heart pick up.

“Yeah, I had nothing better to do this morning.” His comment was casual but seemed to imply something. London tilted her head curiously at him, but he didn’t elaborate. Instead, he waited for her to clip on her seat belt before he backed out of the perfectly cleared driveway.

_He must have been up really early to get that all shoveled…_

London glanced at Chris out of the corner of her eye, trying not to be obvious. He looked completely calm even though the air in the cab felt tense. Was he not interested in her anymore? There wasn’t even a spark of the same heat that had been in his eyes before. London focused on looking back out the window as they drove; the wave of sadness that welled up was just too much. If she looked at him anymore, she was sure she was going to cry.

_What am I doing?_

The question drifted through her thoughts as they drove in silence. Confusion, sadness colored with heartache was making her depressed.

_Depressed on Christmas Eve…great._

* * *

 

Relationships are complicated. Nothing is ever simple and nothing ever goes the way you expect it to go.

Example A: Taking your time to seduce the woman of your dreams, leads to her friend zoning you.

Example B: Finally making a move because it hurts too much not too, which leads to finding out she’s got the hots for you but is a virgin.

Now some might be wondering why the first one seems worse than the second, but not in Chris’s case. Example B was much, much worse. Not because she was a virgin, but because he was suddenly worried that due to her lack of experience she might only be into him because she’d never felt a man’s touch before. He knew first-hand how close love and lust really were and how hard it was to discern between the two. If he had been a bit wiser when he was younger, his first love probably wouldn’t have held the title. Lust made for messy relationships and unrequited feelings with lots of pain. As much as he knew he loved her and that it was a true emotion, he couldn’t say for sure that what she felt for him was the same.

If he was honest with himself and he didn’t love her, it being just the sexual attraction, he probably would’ve gone for it and dealt with the fallout. The problem was, this emotion was making him stop short. He wanted to make love to her… He didn’t want to be that asshole that he had been in his early youth anymore. Chris had moved far past that over the last few years, even more so after the last two months of hanging out and getting to know London.

He wanted her to love him…

However, because of that want and not knowing how she felt (which she probably didn’t even know how she felt either), he didn’t want to risk touching her and it leading to something they both might regret.

_Fuck…I’m a mess._

Chris gave himself a mental shake as the turned down the road that led to John and Shelly’s house. London hadn’t spoken since they started driving, which was making the air in the cab more intense as they made their way to her family’s home. Maybe he should just say what he felt? Somehow though, that seemed like a bad idea. Especially since they were going to her family’s—his _boss’s_ —home for Christmas dinner.

Now that he thought about this, the whole thing wasn’t a good idea. He liked John and Shelly, but working with James this last week at the shop had been a down-right pain in the ass. Chris had tried to keep the normal comradery going that they had developed, but James just ignored him. It only took about five minutes for Chris to get just as pissed off as James was acting. He knew that he liked his sister. Hell, he had talked about it enough times with James giving him a hard time over it that it should have been obvious that he was serious about her.

Chris was still pretty pissed about James’s attitude at the shop too. He’d been more of a slacker lately and it felt like John hadn’t even noticed that his son was dumping his jobs on him. He didn’t really blame John for not noticing, from what he’d seen James slacked off a lot.

“You okay?”

London’s soft voice made Chris blink as he glanced at her. Motioning with her hand towards his hands on the wheel, Chris looked down. His knuckles were white from his irritation and frustration. Loosening his grip, he nodded.

“Yeah…”

They both fell silent again as Chris pulled into John’s driveway and parked. The moment he turned off the engine, they were alone for about half a moment before Chris spotted London’s mother, Shelly, pushing through the snow to meet them. The awkward air was still present as London opened the door and slipped out, shutting it behind her.

Chris watched as London and Shelly gave each other a hug, exchanging a few words. He lingered there watching London as she forced a gentle smile. Maybe he should just go home and skip this whole family dinner thing. It was pretty apparent that he was making the situation more uncomfortable and it was only going to get worse. He doubted that he’d be able to give her the Christmas present he bought for her, which was currently sitting in his coat pocket.

A soft tapping on the window had Chris pulled back from his thoughts as Shelly motioned for him to step out and come inside. London was already halfway to the back door.

Making up his mind, Chris turned the ignition over and rolled down the window.

“Hey Shelly,” He said in greeting. She tilted her head slightly as she raised her eyebrow.

“Not coming in?” Her tone wasn’t accusatory or pushy but instead seemed like a statement of fact.

“Yeah…” He hesitated for a moment before giving her a goofy smile, “I forgot something at home, I’ll be right back.”

“Sure Chris. I’ll keep a plate for you.” Shelly gave him an all-knowing smile as he nodded his thanks and rolled up the window. 

He needed to think, like _really think_. Maybe giving her a little bit of space might clear her head and his as well. Then again, it might backfire on him…

“Fuck me…” He mumbled as he backed out of the driveway and took back off down the road to his duplex.

Without realizing what he was doing, Chris reached into his pocket where the small box with her necklace was hidden; his fingertip tracing the small wrapped box as he tried to figure out what he should do when he got home to keep him from thinking about London.


	17. The Best Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Blurt out the truth, you'll feel better._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies for this chapter taking so long. I've been dealing with a lot of personal and family related issues lately. I'm not sure, sadly, how often I'll be able to post but I hope you lovelies keep reading when I do!
> 
> Thank you so much to all those who have commented while I was unexpectedly absent, it was so heart warming to read them and I'll be responding to each and every single one of you over the next couple of days. I really appreciate your support and I love hearing from you. You guys are the best! ^_^

London entered the house through the back door to find her brother and his girlfriend, Jessica, chatting in the kitchen. They were dressed casually like she was which made her even more thankful that her mother hadn’t insisted on everyone dressing up for the family dinner. They’d done the ‘fancy’ dinner with everyone else in town practically, this one was more laid back and she liked it better.

“Hey Loni,” Jessica said in greeting. Her red hair was twisted in a pretty up-do that exposed her slender neck and her pretty face. Even though she was dressed in an ACDC band t-shirt and jeans, she still looked like a million dollars. London hoped James realized how lucky he was to have her in his life. It seemed over the last couple of months they’d grown as a couple and her brother, thankfully, seemed to have stopped his womanizing ways.

“Hi Jessica,” London forced a small smile as she hung up her coat. Chris hadn’t come in yet, so she was trying to shake off the uncomfortable ride over. James caught her eye as she turned and gave her a leveled look. Sadly, things were still tense between them ever since he caught her kissing Chris at the theater... Frowning, London was about to talk to him when their mother walked in. The cold winter wind filled the surrounding air quickly as Shelly shuffled in, stomping her snow-covered boots on the mat just inside the door. Shutting the door behind her, Shelly grinned at London.

“Hoo! It’s cold out there.” Shelly laughed as she took off her own coat and hung it up. Shelly and London both started to take off their boots at the same time, but London stopped as she realized that Chris wasn’t behind her mother.

“Where’s Chris?”

Shelly stood straight and looked at London with soft eyes and a gentle smile, “He went home, dear.”

“Why?” Blinking, London stared at her mother as her brother suddenly spoke up.

“Who cares?” His voice was edgy and London frowned at him. She wasn't able to keep the sharp look off her face. _Seriously, why are you being a jerk?_

“What—?” Her mouth starting to voice her thought, but Jessica put her hand on James’s shoulder to try and calm him down. He looked pissed off and downright irritated, which made London feel angry and a bit sad.

“Hey, why don’t we start a fire? That’s festive right?” Jessica said sweetly as she slipped her arm through his and slowly started to pull him out towards the living room. Within moments the couple had disappeared around the corner.

Looking at her mother, London sighed softly at a loss for words.

“I don’t understand. I thought Chris was coming inside, why’d he leave? And is James going to act like a jerk the entire time?” Her anger was quickly disappearing and filling with sadness and regret. Somehow she'd hurt her brother, which still was mind-boggling to her.

Shelly looked thoughtful for a moment as she walked to the center island and took a sip out of her Christmas tree mug. London frowned once more as she followed her mother and stood on the other side, waiting patiently as she could for her to answer.

“Well,” Shelly started, pausing a moment as she set her cup down and giving London a soft smile, “he forgot something. As for your brother, who knows?” She shrugged.

“Forgot something?” London raised her brow for a quick moment before it furrowed again. “Mom, that doesn’t make any sense. You didn't ask us to bring anything.”

Shelly paused for a moment as if she was thinking before she shrugged, “All I can say for certain is that he went home.” Her response was nonchalant and London found herself standing there and staring at her mother. She couldn’t explain it but her heart was beating so loudly she could feel it in her chest. There was an unsettling feeling that she couldn’t quite describe and it mixed with a weird type of panic. It most definitely had nothing to do with her brother and everything to do with Chris.

Shelly smiled as she took another sip of her mug before setting it down once more.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“I…don't know.” London frowned harder for a moment before looking around the kitchen. No one was there and from the soft conversation drifting from the living room, James and Jessica were still in there. It wasn’t like her father would eavesdrop around a corner, though she hadn’t seen him since she’d walked in. Taking a chance, she leaned forward as she began to speak in a hushed voice.

“Chris kissed me, twice.”

The confession made her face burn and she bit her lip in embarrassment. She’d never spoken with her mother about boys at all. The few short relationships she had had were not even worth mentioning, but with Chris… Well, she loved Chris. No, that wasn’t right either. She was in love with him. Though that realization still made her stomach twist in a weird way and her heart beat faster. It made it harder to breathe when she thought about it and without realizing it, London found herself balling up her fists to stop her hands from trembling.

Something must have shown her face though because her mother smiled with that all-knowing smile she only got when she knew exactly what you were thinking. Just then the back door opened, letting in another cold blast of air as her father stomped in, covered in snow.

“Jesus, it’s cold out there!” His yellow beard was filled with snow, giving him the look of a rustic Santa. The sight seemed to warm London’s heart as her mother suddenly reached across the island counter and took her hand. Startled, London looked at her, who gave her a sly smile.

“So…what are you going to do about it?”

“Mom?” London blinked at her confused.

“What are you going to do about Chris kissing you?” Shelly grinned mischievously as London felt her face blush again.

“Mom!” She said exasperatedly as her father, John, froze mid-motion into taking off his boots.

“Wha—?” John started only to be cut off by a quick look from his wife. In the next second, Shelly looked back at London with that sly smile once again.

“So he kissed you, what are you going to do about it?”

London was so shocked and embarrassed that her mother was continuing to talk with her father in the room that her whole body tensed. Her face felt hot, surprising her that it hadn’t burst into flames. The silence in the kitchen was weighted and London glanced at her father, who was standing there dripping on the mat and looking completely dumbfounded.

“I…” She trailed off as her mother casually shrugged and took her hand back, taking a sip of her mug.

No one said anything as London stared at her mother. ‘ _What are you going to do about it?_ ’ What was she going to do about it? She knew she was in love with him and he wouldn’t have kissed her if he hadn’t felt the same right? But why had he stopped? Was he just as scared as she was? What if he was? Was she just going to sit there and let this awkward situation between them get worse or was she going to talk to him? She'd been able to talk to him before, right?

That last thought was enough to make a wave of anxiety wash over her. It would be devastating if he rejected her if she blindly thought a talk would fix everything again. London gave herself a mental shake. No…she wasn’t just going to sit there because she was afraid. She needed to talk to him, at least explain how she felt. How _he_ made her feel. This awkwardness was making her chest hurt… And if he did reject her, then she could at least say she had been in love once in her life.

Making up her mind, London gave her mother a small smile. Shelly grinned and nodded as she saluted her daughter with her mug.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks, Mom.” London came around the island counter and gave her mother a big hug before turning and giving her father, who had just finished taking off his boots, a hug too.

“Do I want to know?” John whispered over the top of London’s head, which was closely followed by her mother’s soft laughter.

Wanting to escape before her father started asking too many questions; London quickly pulled her boots back on with her coat. As soon as she was dressed she hesitated at the back door, it was a blizzard outside from what she could tell through the small window.

“Take my truck,” John piped up, “it’s got all the bells and whistles so you should be able to make it back just fine.”

“Thanks, Dad.” London smiled as she grabbed his keys to his new truck off the key hook. Without waiting a moment longer, London opened the back door and trudged forward into the white blizzard.

* * *

**“Dan-numm! Bum-bum-buanum! Mmm…YEAH!”**

Chris bobbed his head to the music that was blasting in his ears. He didn’t even notice that he’d been singing along just as loudly with it. So far his distraction was working and he hadn’t thought about London since he’d gotten home an hour ago. The light outside had already faded to give way to night; the temperature dropping considerably, which was okay because the small space heater in the garage did more than enough to keep him warm while he worked on his bike. It really was coming along nicely if he did say so himself. He’d taken apart the engine and cleaned, greased, replaced and polished every tiny piece of it. He was just about done putting it back together too. Not bad at all since he'd pretty much had to replace all the main parts just to get the engine in top condition again.

He was completely dirty from working, which after a glance at the clock on the garage wall told him he might want to pack it in for the night. It was just past nine, but he knew that if he didn't get to bed soon he'd still wake up at five and feel exhausted. The shop was closed for Christmas, but he wasn't able to sleep in anymore. He'd gotten so used to going in early for work that he didn't even need to set an alarm clock for the past two months.

“Well, sorry baby. I need a shower and some sleep.” He said to the bike, giving it a loving pat on the seat before setting down his socket wrench and standing. The music in his earbuds was still going on strong so when he felt the soft touch of a delicate hand on his shoulder he practically jumped out of his skin.

“Holy shit!”

Startled and hit by a sudden rush of adrenaline, Chris spun around only to come face to face with a partially snow-covered blonde beauty with flushed cheeks and gorgeous green eyes.

“London...?” He murmured, quickly taking out his earbuds and filling the small distance between them with loud rock music.

“Hey...” London said sheepishly, “I uh...didn't mean to scare you.” Her green eyes looked nervous, but her smile was amused none the less and Chris swallowed, trying desperately to calm his racing heart. It was no use, now that he'd seen her face it was beating fast for a completely different reason.

“N-no... I mean... Yeah, you scared the shit outta me, but... What are you doing here?”

The question left him before he could think better of it and he cringed. It sounded like he didn't want her here, which wasn't true. She hadn't been over to his place in a while and her suddenly standing there...

“Mom said you forgot something.” She was looking down at the ground when she said it like she was nervous but her voice was surprisingly strong.

“Forgot...” Chris mumbled as he stared at her. The loud music from his earbuds was distracting him so he couldn't think. Turning off his iPod, Chris focused back on her just as she lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were clear, yet he could tell that despite her nervousness she was determined to talk to him. It made him smile softly as he looked at her, the snow melting off her coat and dripping on the cement floor.

“It wasn't so much that I forgot something...” He purposefully let his words trail off, trying to buy himself time to come up with a good excuse. Of course, she would wonder why he left. But honestly, things had been so tense between them, not to mention he felt like a complete asshole for practically jumping her in her father's truck; that he thought she probably didn't want him there with her family.

The shitty thing was in that moment, he couldn't come up with a solid reason or even a bullshit answer as to what he 'forgot'. Instead, he just ended up staring at her, his heart still pounding away in his chest while the snow on her coat continued to melt onto the garage floor.

“Uh...w-well...” He stammered, trying to get a grip on himself. London was continuing to gaze at him with those forest green eyes of hers and her full lips pressed into a worried line. Without thinking, he raked his hands through his hair, messing it up and causing it to stick up at odd angles.

Words had just left him as he started to curse himself internally. _Come on, think! Say something you asshole!_

Just as the anxiety was beginning to rise up, London suddenly smiled broadly at him. It lit up her face and Chris couldn't help but gape at her as she started to laugh.

“You've, uh, got some grease on your forehead.” Her voice wasn't nervous anymore, but filled with amusement and Chris blinked at her for a moment before looking at his hands. There were a few areas where he hadn't quite gotten all the grease off with his rag and it was now obvious to him that he just made a bigger fool of himself.

London laughed harder, the musical notes becoming full-bodied and joyful as she brought her hand up to her mouth to try, not so well, to stifle her laughter.

“Okay, okay...” She managed to say after a few failed attempts to stop laughing, “Come on, you shower and I'll make some hot cocoa.”

Chris gave her a lopsided smile, unable to ignore the fact that his face felt a bit flushed.

“Yeah, okay.”

* * *

London busied herself in the kitchen while the steady sound of the shower running echoed softly in the dim lit kitchen. She'd used his coffee pot to boil some water and already had to mugs with the proper amount of cocoa powder (extra chocolatey of course) as she waited for it to finish doing its job.

She'd already removed her coat and her snow-covered boots, letting them dry by the vent. The few moments it had taken to do those few things had kept her mind from returning to its previous nervous state. The problem was, now she was alone in his kitchen staring at the coffee maker and wondering if she could actually go through with what she wanted to do.

London swallowed nervously as the sudden sound of the shower shutting off reached her ears, a few seconds later the coffee maker sputtered the last few drops of hot water into the pot.

“Okay, just breathe. You're just going to talk and then...” _And then what? Seriously, what was I expecting to do? Come over here and jump his bones?_ The answer was no. And yes... And no...

Damnit!

London yanked herself away from her thoughts as she poured the hot water into the mugs and listened intently while Chris opened the bathroom door, padded to his room and then closed his bedroom door.

“Okay,” She whispered to herself as she put the pot back in the coffee maker and stirred the dark, brown liquid, “You just need to come clean. Explain how you feel. Remember what mom said...”

‘ _So he kissed you, what are you going to do about it?_ ’

“London?”

Startled, London jumped and looked up from the two mugs in front of her to Chris was standing next to her with a bemused look on his face. His hazel eyes grinned at her as a smirk tugged on his lips.

“Huh?!” Damn, he was standing close to her. Like, _really, REALLY_ close to her. He was slightly bending down so his face was almost directly in front of hers and she felt herself flush.

“Sorry,” He laughed then and straightened, giving London's heart a moment to try and get back to its normal rhythm, “You were spacing out.”

London gave him a nervous smile and offered him one of the mugs as she tried not to let her gaze linger too much on his still damp hair. The scent of his body wash and shampoo was masculine and it made her stomach tighten.

“N-No...I mean... It's okay. I just have some things on my mind.”

Which was true, the tense atmosphere that had been between them for the last few weeks seemed to have diminished quite a bit since there awkward car ride, not more than a few hours ago. She was grateful for that, but now that she was here with him standing in front of her...

Well, now she was tense for another reason.

Chris smiled as he took the cup and raised it to his lips. She was watching him seriously now, her own mug poised in front of her. How was she going to say what she needed to say? What would come of it? The fear was starting to come back tenfold and her mouth suddenly felt dry.

“Chri–” she began, only to have her words suddenly cut off as Chris put his mug down and reached into the pocket of his basketball shorts and pull out a small wrapped box.

“Here.”

“Um.” She murmured as Chris looked suddenly nervous, “I know we weren't planning on gifts for each other but, I saw this and I just... Well...” He trailed off as London took the small box wrapped meticulously in beautiful paper.

“Oh Chris, you didn't have to do that...” She said the fear that had been rising up suddenly put on hold as she carefully began to remove the paper. For a moment, her heart seemed to stop as she exposed what was clearly a jewelry box, a ring size box...

_But...! What the!?_

This couldn't be what she thought it could be! There was no way, it was WAY too early for that and she just only now realized how she felt about him. And, and, and!

London felt her breath catch as she slowly opened the box to reveal a small silver pendant, which looked like an open book. Feeling relief and yet dumbstruck at the same time she felt herself let out the breath she'd been holding.

“It's...beautiful...” She whispered. It was simple, yet tasteful and glinted in the dim light of the kitchen like was a small speck of magic and love...just for her.

Looking up at Chris, he grinned at her, that boyish cute grin that made her heart melt and her chest ache.

“Man, the look on your face right now–” He looked happy and so relieved. “Is the best present I could have asked for.” He finished softly as he gazed at her.

London swallowed hard, that tightness was back in her stomach again, tenfold. Her fingers were gripping the small box to try and keep her hands from shaking, but it was no use.

“I love you...”

The words left her lips before she had a chance to stop them and Chris stilled with wide eyes as he stared at her.

“What...?”


	18. Slow & Steady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Some things are worth waiting for._

* * *

The silence in the kitchen was deafening and London felt the panic rise up in her throat as Chris’s gaze shifted from sudden surprise to serious. She opened her mouth to say something, anything that might take back what she had just blurted out, but she couldn’t. She meant what she said.  
  
 _I love you…_  
  
“London,” Chris’s voice was deeper than normal and the depth at which he said her name made her knees feel a little weak. He’d said her name the exact same way at the theater when he first kissed her.   
  
Chris took a step forward, slowly, like if he moved too fast he might startle her and she’d run away from him again. She felt herself take in a small, sharp breath as the distance closed and London could practically feel her limbs trying to hold her emotions together. Emotions that she recognized and didn’t, pulsed through her body, his large hands coming up to cup her face. His fingertips brushed her neck along the way and she shivered. The serious look on his face was still there, but now his eyes were filled with a heated passion that made her body tremble and it suddenly became even harder to breathe.   
  
“Finally,” He murmured as the distance closed and his lips pressed against her tentatively. London felt the tension in her body that had been steadily rising, leave her and the tentative kiss shifted to a passionate one within moments. Tingles rushed down her spine, drawing a deep moan from her as Chris’s hands slipped down her shoulders and his arms wrapped around her waist to draw them closer. His tongue teased hers, causing her thoughts to stop completely. She wasn’t sure if she was an okay kisser or not as her mouth answered his almost desperately. At least that was until he groaned deeply as she bit his bottom lip gently by accident. The sound hit a chord deep inside her middle, making her cling to his shirt almost desperately. London wasn’t sure how long they stood there in the kitchen kissing like it was the only thing keeping them alive, but it was over way to soon.   
  
Chris pulled back, his hands on her hips and hot lust in his eyes. London felt flushed all over and hand to force her grip on his shirt to ease up. Somehow she was still holding on to the small jewelry box, but only barely. Both of them were breathing hard and it took a few seconds before Chris broke the silence.   
  
“I’m sorry… You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.” His face was flushed, either from the recent kissing session or his embarrassment, London wasn’t sure. However, that wasn't what she was focused on at the moment.  
  
“Huh?” Blinking in confusion, London found herself staring at Chris in surprise.   
  
Chris gave a sheepish smile as he ran his fingers through his hair in embarrassment, “Well you know, I uh...” He hesitated for a moment, looking away as if contemplating something before looking back at her. His face was serious and the previous cute embarrassment was replaced with a masculine look.   
  
“I never told you, but I've loved you since the first moment I met you.”   
  
London's heart was threatening to hammer out of her chest as his words sunk in. He loved her? _Me? He loved me from the first...moment?_  
  
It came as both a shock and a relief. All that doubting and going back in forth in her head seemed completely pointless now and well, stupid. So stupid in fact that London found herself giggling, then laughing about how stupid she'd been. She ended up laughing so hard that tears squeezed out and slipped down her cheeks. She was so relieved and so...happy.   
  
Chris stared at her wide-eyed as she laughed, covering her mouth as much as possible to hold it in, though it failed miserably. Shifting slightly from one foot to the other, Chris rubbed the back of his neck nervously.   
  
“Are you laughing at me?” His voice sounded hurt and London managed to slow her laughing fit down enough to shake her head.   
  
“No,” She giggled once more, setting the small jewelry box on the counter. She slid her hands up his chest, taking a moment to feel the hard muscle under his shirt before she caressed his face gently. “I'm just...relieved and so, so happy. I was worried that you wouldn't want me because I'm not sexually experienced. Or that you worried about our friendship. It took me a long time to realize that I love you, that I am in love with you.”   
  
It felt good to be so honest and her words seemed to calm Chris down enough to give her that silly, goofy half smile that she loved so much.   
  
“Good, because I already feel like an asshole for making out with you in the truck.”  
  
London couldn't help the blush that rose up along her skin and she started to draw her hands away, suddenly self-conscious. Chris stopped her hands, tenderly grabbing them and holding them to his lips to kiss her fingers. The motion made her breath catch as he looked at her with that heat in his eyes again. The air felt suddenly heavy and London tried to remind herself to breathe.   
  
“I won't rush you London. I'll wait however long you want me to wait until you're ready.” His voice was deep, rumbling almost with the promise of unspoken words. London couldn't help but swallow as she tried her best to not breathe like she was panicking, which she wasn't...kind of.  
  
“I-I...um...” She opened her mouth to try and speak, but nothing coherent came out and instead she stumbled over her words.   
  
“I-I w-want to...um...I...” _Damnit!_ Why couldn't she just talk like a confident person? Seriously, what the hell was wrong with her?!  
  
Chris smiled, the heat in his gaze becoming amused as he let her hands go. The sudden lack of his large, warm and calloused hands made London suddenly feel alone. The feeling ended quickly because a moment later Chris was kissing her again. He teased her bottom lip with his teeth and she opened her mouth to accept him almost instantly. The kiss was passionate at first and then became hungrier, needier than all the other kisses before. London felt her lower abdomen tighten and heat up as his hands came up and tangled in her hair. A moan slipped out of her as she let her hands caress his abdomen. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing, but she couldn't help but touch him. The hardened muscle under his shirt was taunt and when her long fingers found a sensitive spot just above his shorts, he groaned in response.   
  
Chris's hands slipped down her shoulders and slid around her waist, pulling her closer to him so their bodies pressed together firmly. She could feel the large, twitching bulge in his shorts press against her and London gasped in surprise. Chris pulled back slightly, his face red and his eyes hungry.   
  
“You okay?” He rumbled deeply, the tone making her heart race all the more.   
  
“Y-yeah...I'm just...n-nervous...” She stuttered, she wanted this so bad. All that pent up frustration since he first kissed her in the theater has built to this moment and she didn't want to stop. But it was very overwhelming.   
  
Chris smiled gently at her and stepped back slightly to give her a little space. He didn't remove his hands though and instead, he took her hand, intertwining their fingers.  
  
“I meant what a said. I'll wait till you're ready. No pressure.”   
  
London smiled shyly, knowing her face was completely red and she looked down at her feet. Or she tried too, but instead, her eyes landed on the large bulge that was showing in the front of his basketball shorts. Suddenly feeling very embarrassed and like a pervert, she looked up at the ceiling. She knew that she was blushing furiously now. Chris watched her for a moment, confused for a moment until he glanced down and realized what the problem was.   
  
“Ah, sorry.” He chuckled, swallowing hard before bringing her hand back up to his lips and kissing them. “I got a little excited.” His voice was boyish and cute, which made London smile at him shyly.   
  
“How about this,” Chris cleared his throat and held her hand close to his chest, “We won't do anything tonight. We'll sleep at our own places and I'll take you on a date. An honest, to goodness, date.”  
  
“A date?” London blinked at the sudden change in the conversation.   
  
“Yep. We'll go on a date, a few dates. We'll take it slow. There's no rush and I want to make sure you're ready.”   
  
“But aren't you?” London blushed at her suddenly boldness, that was so not how she wanted that to come out.   
  
Chris chuckled and squeezed her hand, a mischievous glint in his eye, “Aren't I what?” It was clear he knew exactly 'what' she was referring too. London, however, was too embarrassed to actually say it out loud.   
  
“N-nothing.” London cleared her throat and smiled softly, “Okay, we'll go on a date.”  
  
Chris grinned boyishly and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. It sent a thrill through her body, right down to her toes even though it was so fast. Her heart was beating in her chest all over again.   
  
“Good. Now you should probably go home before I make an ass out of myself again.”  
  
London blinked, wide-eyed at him, confused. Chris gave her a masculine grin as he locked eyes with hers.  
  
“Because I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself if we start kissing again.”   
  
“Oh...” London blushed hard and smiled as Chris released her hand.   
  
“Okay, so tomorrow?” She said, reaffirming their plans and he nodded with a smile.   
  
“It's a date.”  


* * *

Chris was completely over the moon. London had said she loved him, words he never thought she would say so soon after practically blowing his plan to get her to like him all to hell by making out with her in her father's truck.   
  
The problem was, he was now laying on his back staring at the ceiling, knowing that London was next door. From how their duplexes were laid out, her bed was up against the same wall as his. Which was both comforting and torturous. He was determined to do the right thing, which was, of course, sending London back home while he laid on his bed with the most painful bout of blue balls he'd ever experienced.   
  
He could have found release, it wouldn't have been difficult. But after kissing London and feeling her delicate frame pressed against him and hungrily kissing him... Well, it just seemed like waiting was going to be totally worth it.   
  
_Or maybe maddening..._  
  
Chris groaned as he rolled over, the sheet that was barely covering him just seemed like a bigger tease against his skin. It wasn't even the sheets really, his skin still felt like it was on fire where her long, slender fingers had caressed his abdomen and sides. Now because of his lack of release every touch, including the softness of his own sheets, was driving him crazy.   
  
Another thirty minutes passed before Chris sighed and finally gave in. There was only one thing that was going to solve his problem...  
  
“I hate cold showers...” He grumbled as he rolled out of bed. 

 


End file.
